Lome, Togo

Lome: Togo's Gateway to Global Connectivity

Lome, the capital city of Togo, serves as the country's sole submarine cable landing point, connecting this West African nation to the rest of the world. Despite its relatively small size, Lome plays a significant role in Togo's digital infrastructure, hosting three submarine cables that enable both international and regional communication.

Three Cables, One Landing Point

Lome is the landing site for three submarine cables: Equiano, the West Africa Cable System (WACS), and Maroc Telecom West Africa. Together, these cables provide Togo with robust connectivity across Africa and beyond. The Equiano cable, operational since 2023, is the newest addition to Lome's infrastructure. Spanning 15,000 kilometers, it connects Togo to countries as distant as Portugal and South Africa, with stops in Namibia, Nigeria, and even the remote islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. This cable represents a leap forward in bandwidth and speed, offering Togo access to cutting-edge international connectivity. The WACS cable, in service since 2012, is a 14,530-kilometer network that links Togo to 12 other landing points across Africa and Europe, including Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, Angola, and Portugal. As one of the earliest cables to land in Lome, WACS has been instrumental in establishing Togo's presence on the global digital map. Finally, the Maroc Telecom West Africa cable, operational since 2021, provides regional connectivity between Togo and neighboring countries like Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, and Gabon, as well as Morocco in North Africa. Its 8,600-kilometer length emphasizes regional collaboration and strengthens Togo's ties within West Africa.

Positioning Togo in the Digital Landscape

With three submarine cables landing at a single point, Lome is a hub for both international and regional data traffic. This infrastructure supports Togo's growing economy, enabling industries such as banking, logistics, and telecommunications to thrive. The cables also facilitate connections to neighboring countries, making Lome a strategic node in West Africa's digital network.

Latency Insights: Measured by GeoCables

GeoCables' proprietary latency monitoring provides unique insights into Lome's connectivity performance. Over 35 checks from nine different source cities, the average round-trip latency to Lome was measured at 165 milliseconds. Impressively, the best observed latency was just 11 milliseconds, showcasing the efficiency of the cables landing here. These figures highlight Lome's capability to handle fast and reliable data transmission, essential for modern digital services.

Conclusion

Lome's role as Togo's only submarine cable landing point underscores its importance in the nation's connectivity infrastructure. With three cables linking the country to both regional neighbors and distant international hubs, Lome is a critical enabler of Togo's digital growth. From facilitating local industries to connecting Togo to the global internet, the cables landing here ensure that Lome remains a pivotal player in West Africa's digital future.