Undersea Cables in Africa as the the New Form of Digital Colonialism

With Africa being the least connected continent in the world, the Scramble for Africa continues through the domination and control of the African digital landscape by external entities under the pretext of development.

The digital divide in Africa has created a territory contest where various big tech companies are racing each other to monopolize digital infrastructure under the guise of development. The phenomenon creates tensions similar to colonialism where value is created while limiting control and development. Infrastructure monopoly threatens net neutrality and the foundation of openness upon which the internet was built. Data is the new oil and whoever controls infrastructure, controls data; and because African states are dependent on external entities for connectivity, there is no guarantee of fair and transparent use.

While it may seem like the world has gone wireless, undersea cables still carry over 90% of global internet traffic. Leveraging their financial capabilities, big tech companies have created an “infrastructure as debt” system in Africa. Beyond monetary debt, they are able to engage in lobbying that weakens policies and regulations to shape the ecosystem in their favour.

Colonialism may be over in many parts of the world, but coloniality—the structural power that persists over formerly colonized territories—persists. The research paper Undersea Cables in Africa: The New Frontiers of Digital Colonialism presents a critical analysis of the language used by big tech, citing narratives that mirror the “civilising mission” of historical colonialism. An example of this is Google naming their undersea cable Equiano after the African abolitionist Olaudah Equiano. Coloniality is further enforced through Epistemic Domination; where the entity that controls the backbone of information controls the evidence/information available to consumers.

Preconditions and Recommendations for Digital Public Infrastructure in Africa

• Addressing the importance of robust infrastructure, including internet connectivity and energy, for DPI's success.

• Developing localized digital solutions that leverage the potential of Africa's talent pool.

• Ensuring that DPI implementation mitigates the digital and energy divide.

• Building local technical know-how and capacity for DPI development and maintenance.

• Recognizing the need for careful consideration of existing systems and avoiding hasty adoption of new solutions.

• Emphasizing the role of African policymakers and stakeholders in ensuring the effectiveness of DPI.