East African operators formalise Horizon Fiber cross-border network deal

Details: Manny Pham; Category: Operators; 04 February 2026; 7453 views

Ethio Telecom, Djibouti Telecom and Sudatel Group have moved their memorandum of understanding for a cross-border optical fibre network into a binding contractual agreement, aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and network resilience.

The operators signed the original MoU in December 2024 for the Horizon Fiber initiative, which will link subsea cable landing stations in Djibouti through Ethiopia and onward to Sudan. The project is designed to create a scalable terrestrial route that enhances both regional and international connectivity.

Horizon Fiber is being positioned as a multi-terabit fibre link connecting Africa with Europe and Asia. The route is expected to improve redundancy through diversification, deliver lower latency for hyperscalers, and open up new market expansion opportunities for enterprises.

Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru (pictured, middle) said the partnership would position East Africa as a “strong and reliable gateway in the global digital ecosystem”.

Djibouti Telecom CEO Mohamed Assoweh Bouh (pictured, left) added that the project demonstrates the operators’ ability to jointly build “world-class strategic infrastructure”, strengthen digital sovereignty and reinforce the region’s global role.

Sudatel CEO Magdi M. Abdalla Taha (pictured, right) described Horizon Fiber as “a replicable benchmark for the rest of the continent”.