Article credit: Capacity Media
For over 15 years, West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) has been at the forefront of Africa’s digital transformation, building a reputation as a key enabler of connectivity across the continent.
Chris Wood, WIOCC Group CEO, joined Capacity to discuss the company’s enduring commitment to Africa’s infrastructure, its response to major challenges like subsea cable outages and its vision for shaping the continent’s digital future.
A $500 million commitment to Africa
WIOCC’s story began in 2008, with a focus on catering to Africa’s wholesale connectivity needs. Over the years, the company has evolved into a powerhouse, investing hundreds of millions of dollars in digital infrastructure.
Wood details the firm’s wide-reaching contributions. “Since it was formed in 2008 to serve the needs of the wholesale community across the continent, WIOCC has invested more than $500 million in digital infrastructure for Africa,” Wood says.
“We are a fibre-pair owner on the Equiano and 2Africa cable systems, and a major operator on all other major subsea networks serving Africa.”
In addition to subsea cables, WIOCC has strategically developed terrestrial infrastructure, with six core and over 30 edge data centres in countries like South Africa, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Its network encompasses more than 250 points-of-presence, providing essential connectivity hubs across the continent.
The company’s impact extends beyond infrastructure to innovation in service delivery, as Wood explains.
“Our integrated digital infrastructure solutions allow wholesale clients — cloud operators, content providers, telcos, ISPs and enterprises — to grow their businesses more efficiently and cost-effectively,” Wood says.
“We offer open-access solutions that address the entire telecommunications value chain, from metro fibre to international connectivity.”
Navigating subsea cable outages
March 2024 saw unprecedented disruptions in internet access across western and southern Africa due to multiple subsea cable outages across the Red Sea.
When the WACS, ACE, MainOne and SAT-3 cables were simultaneously affected by undersea avalanches, the digital ecosystem faced a significant challenge.
WIOCC’s response was swift and decisive, according to Wood. “Our rapid and multifaceted response to this connectivity crisis preserved Africa’s internet by drastically cutting the impact and duration of the outages,” he recalls.
The company implemented a robust restoration plan, leveraging its advanced network redundancy.
“We added more than 2.5Tbps of restoration capacity, configured over 100 individual restoration circuits and restored connectivity for more than 30 leading players in Africa’s wholesale ecosystem,” Wood shares.
This effort involved expanding capacity on the unaffected Equiano cable, activating cross-connects and sourcing crucial equipment in record time.
But it was the human element that truly shone. “The expertise and tireless commitment of our employees were critical,” Wood emphasises. “Our team worked around the clock, often taking flights at short notice to collect and deliver equipment.”
The disruptions served as a wake-up call for the industry. “This almost unprecedented level of disruption brought home the criticality of having capacity on all available cables and routes when you want to provide resilient, continuous service,” Wood notes.
Collaboration across the digital supply chain proved invaluable during the crisis. “The levels of cooperation we achieved with equipment vendors, suppliers, industry partners and clients demonstrated the strength of the wholesale ecosystem in times of crisis,” says Wood.
WIOCC has since strengthened its infrastructure to enhance resilience further. “We’ve seen more clients opting for additional capacity on the newest systems, which increases their service resilience and ensures continuity for their customers,” he says.
Overcoming barriers to growth
As demand for data grows exponentially, scaling infrastructure across Africa comes with its own set of challenges. WIOCC, however, is unfazed, with plans to invest an additional $500 million over the next five years.
“This investment will extend our network to new locations and countries, add greater capacity on key routes and increase route diversity,” Wood explains. “Our goal is to enable our clients to offer ever more resilient solutions to their customers.”
He acknowledged the importance of reaching less-connected regions. “We are expanding data centre capacity and introducing new facilities to help more Africans access world-class technology and build better lives, better businesses and a better world,” Wood says passionately.
Shaping Africa’s digital future
WIOCC is not content with maintaining the status quo, but is actively developing innovative solutions to meet Africa’s evolving digital needs.
“We will continue to provide cutting-edge infrastructure and services to meet our wholesale clients’ requirements for metro, national and global connectivity,” Wood states.
One of WIOCC’s recent initiatives is Open Access Technical Services (OATS), launched in late 2023. This division supports clients in deploying infrastructure without requiring their own operations on the continent. “OATS is a key growth area for us,” Wood says. “It allows our clients to focus on their core business while we manage their network and infrastructure needs in Africa.”
The company is also pioneering an Africa-led interconnection platform. “This will transform the way enterprises and service providers deliver scalable and secure interconnection solutions for their customers,” Wood reveals.
Vision and commitment
When asked about the company’s long-term vision, Wood is unequivocal. “WIOCC will maintain its strategic policy of investing in digital infrastructure serving Africa,” he says.
“We will continue developing innovative products and services to meet market requirements and ensure that Africa remains at the forefront of digital transformation.”
It’s clear that WIOCC’s commitment goes beyond infrastructure: it’s about creating opportunities and fostering resilience in an increasingly digital continent.
From building state-of-the-art data centres to tackling unprecedented connectivity crises, WIOCC is shaping Africa’s digital landscape — and, Wood’s words and actions indicate, it is just getting started.
