Connectivity and Cloud Access across West Africa: TelCables Nigeria to Open New Point of Presence at Rack Centre Lagos

BY TAIWO ISRAEL OPEYEMI 

TelCables Nigeria, a subsidiary of global ICT solutions and services provider, Angola Cables has said that it will open a new PoP at the Lagos Rack Centre facility to boost low-latency interconnectivity and Cloud access across West Africa.

Fernando Fernandes, CEO of TelCables Nigeria and West Africa said that this strategic expansion aims to significantly enhance digital connectivity across West Africa using the extensive Angola Cables backbone network to support businesses and communities obtain easier, more affordable access to digital content and services.

“The new PoP at Rack Centre represents a crucial step towards strengthening the digital infrastructure of West Africa, providing faster, more reliable internet access to local enterprises, government institutions, and individuals by localising traffic,” explained Fernandes.

He added that with direct access to the Angola Cables’ SACS and Wacs subsea cables connections, data traffic can be more efficiently routed to South American and US markets and onto Europe via EllaLink as a standard routing option or as a redundancy option should the need arise to redirect traffic.

Rack Centre CEO, Lars Johannisson said that Rack Centre Lagos campus, which is currently being expanded with the addition of the LGS 2 Data Centre, is nearing completion, bringing the data centre  campus capacity to 13.5MW of IT Power and 7200 meters of space. “The significance of this is that once completed, operators like TelCables , hyperscalers, businesses, telecom operators, and service providers will have access to world-class carrier and cloud-neutral infrastructure to securely scale their digital operations, ultimately fostering economic growth in Nigeria and the West Africa region,” notes Johannisson.

Rack Centre Lagos already  accommodates over 68 telecommunication carriers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), global Tier 1 networks.

Johannisson said that the LGS 2 data centre has also been developed to ensure AI readiness to allow for enhanced data processing and storage capabilities, which are critical for businesses and organisations that are embracing artificial intelligence and machine learning.  “The is a major step for Africa’s digital development as access to the infrastructure necessary to drive and expand digital ecosystems across the continent, boost innovation and ultimately drive economic growth within Nigeria and across the continent will be readily available.

“TelCables, powered by the Angola Cables network is a growing entity within the Nigerian geography, and we firmly believe that collaboration is the key in building and promoting resilient and efficient digital infrastructure.  Our partnership with Rack Centre is part of a greater vision, and if we can do this together, we are setting the right course for Africa’s future prosperity as a contributor to the rapidly evolving digital economy,” concluded Fernandes.

Angola Cables is an internationally established ICT and digital solutions and network services provider.  The company specializes in connectivity solutions for the wholesale market and offers tailored digital services and solutions across multiple industries, including Cloud resources for the corporate enterprise sector.

Known for its innovation, Angola Cables operates a robust global backbone network, providing access to major IXPs, Tier I operators, and global content providers. With more than 30 PoPs and connections to 66 interconnected Data Centres and 6000 peering agreements, traffic over its international network is in excess of 18 500 Tbps.

The company has its own submarine cable network spanning over 33,000 kilometres (WACS, SACS, and MONET) and extends its services to over 50,000 kilometres through partner cables, connecting the Americas, Africa, Europe, and Asia.

Additionally, the company operates two world-class Data Centres, AngoNAP Fortaleza in Brazil and AngoNAP Luanda in Angola. Angola Cables also manages PIX in Brazil and AngonIX in Angola – one of the leading internet traffic exchange points in Africa that directly connects to over 21 IXPs worldwide.

With a significant international presence, Angola Cables is expanding its operations into strategic markets such as Brazil, South Africa, the United States and Nigeria. The company promotes intercontinental interconnection, driving digital and economic development, and ranks among the top 25 internet service providers in the world today.