When we look through some of the most interesting telecom stories from the last month, a theme emerges.
There's a lot of submarine cable and data center news coming out of Africa.
We've selected stories about Facebook's plan to bring cheap internet to Africa, as well as a profile on Equiano, Google's new private subsea cable connecting Portugal and South Africa.
And if you keep scrolling, we also have good stuff on the U.S.-China divide forged by Huawei, the Filipino mobile market, and a great piece from the archive on the world's first known cyberattack. (Or for bonus Africa content, check out Patrick Christian's latest AfPIF presentation.) Enjoy.
According to this TeleGegraph piece, fewer than half of Africans are online.
Companies like Facebook see that as a business opportunity. This story by Lewis Page explains.
Terrestrial Fiber Infrastructure Investments Key to Enabling Growth of Africa’s Digital Economy
Check out this conversation from ITW 2019 about the African digital economy.
Panelists underscored the role content providers like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, play in driving internet traffic, as well as the expectation that traffic on the continent will increase with the growth of Africa’s digital economy.
New Submarine Cable System to Connect Africa, Europe
Okay, allow us one more recommended read on the interesting telecom happenings in Africa. This post from The Guardian reviews Google's announcement of a new private subsea cable, Equiano, that will shuttle high-speed data between Africa and Europe.
"The Equiano cable will start in Western Europe and run along the West Coast of Africa, between Portugal and South Africa, with branches along the way that can be used to extend connectivity to additional African countries," writes Adeyemi Adepetun. "The first branch is slated to land in Nigeria."
Is Huawei a Security Threat? Vietnam Isn’t Taking Any Chances
The world is splitting along U.S.-China fault lines as telecom companies in Vietnam quietly avoid Chinese tech giant Huawei. The New York Times has more about the companies that are willing to play ball with Huawei—and those that aren't.
Mislatel Ready to Shake Up Filipino Mobile Market
The Philippines has moved one step closer to breaking the cellular market duopoly. Mindanao Islamic Telephone Company (Mislatel)–the new major player that was licensed in November 2018–has formally been issued its Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. This paves the way for a planned commercial launch next year.
From the Archive: Here’s How the First Cyber Attack Went Down
What would you say if someone told you that the first cyber attack happened 100 years before computers even existed? That's exactly what happens in this 2018 Medium piece by Matt Weber. Dig in to get the scoop on how the first-ever cyber attack came to be. It involves telegraphs, Napoleon, and insider trading.
Think you've got something that should be on our monthly reading list? Tweet it to us @TeleGeography.