Madagascar, considered one of the poorest countries in the world, has one of the highest speeds of broadband Internet in Africa and has a much faster average speed than some of the richest nations in the world, with 24.9 megabits per second, the speed of Madagascar’s broadband is more than twice the world average. Not only does this mean that the African island nation has one of the fastest Internet speeds on the continent, but it ranks 22nd in the world, surpassing Canada, France or the United Kingdom.
The speed of broadband in Madagascar is the result of the East African submarine cable system (EASSy), 10,000 kilometers long. A submarine fiber optic cable that extends from Sudan to South Africa. In 2014, the country’s largest Internet service provider, Telecom Malagasy, signed an agreement with Hong Kong Telecom’s international operations division to achieve this.
But despite what appears to be a technological advantage, Madagascar’s high-speed Internet hardly serves its population. Only 13% of its 25 million inhabitants have access to electricity and only 2.1% of the population has access to the Internet. There are only 2.75 IP addresses per 1,000 people, compared to a global average of 558 per person.
Madagascar is not the only country connected to the East African submarine cable system. The fiber optic cable must be connected to countries from South Africa to Sudan.
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