Kenyan President William Ruto announced the funding following talks with European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen in Brussels, saying the cable extension will connect Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia and Djibouti to a major digital corridor linking Europe, the Middle East and India.
The funding forms part of a broader package of €139 million in digital investments secured during the visit.
The project is the latest sign of growing European and technology-sector investment in Africa’s digital infrastructure as governments seek to expand internet access, support digital trade and meet rising demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence services.
East Africa joins a major digital highway
The cable forms the African extension of the Blue-Raman system, a Google-backed subsea network unveiled in 2021 in partnership with Italian telecommunications company Sparkle and other operators.
The 12,700-kilometre network was designed to connect Europe and India through the Middle East while creating a new route for international internet traffic outside traditional bottlenecks.
Under the original design, the Blue segment links Italy, France, Greece and Israel, while the Raman segment connects Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Djibouti, Oman and India.
The system contains 16 fibre pairs and operates on an open-access model intended to increase competition among internet providers.
The East African extension will connect Djibouti to Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania, giving the region direct access to one of the newest high-capacity international data routes.
The European Union has previously described the project as a key component of its broader EU-Africa-India Digital Corridor initiative, which aims to strengthen secure digital connectivity between Europe, Africa and Asia.
Why the project matters
The investment comes as East Africa experiences rapid growth in digital services, mobile money, e-commerce and business process outsourcing.
Kenya has emerged as one of Africa’s leading technology hubs, while Tanzania and Somalia are investing heavily in digital infrastructure to expand internet access and financial inclusion.
Ruto said the new cable would lower bandwidth costs across the region, a view supported by research showing that increased international connectivity often leads to cheaper internet services.
A June 2025 study by the Foundation for Studies and Research on International Development found that doubling international connectivity capacity can significantly reduce both mobile and fixed broadband prices.
Lower internet costs remain a major priority across East Africa, where broadband affordability continues to lag international targets despite years of investment in digital infrastructure.
The project is also expected to strengthen East Africa’s attractiveness to data centres, cloud service providers and technology companies seeking reliable international connectivity.
Building resilience after repeated disruptions
Beyond lower costs, the cable is expected to improve network resilience at a time when undersea infrastructure has become increasingly vulnerable.
Several cable failures in the Red Sea and along Africa’s eastern coastline have caused widespread internet disruptions over the past two years.
In March 2025, damage to the PEACE cable affected internet traffic across parts of Africa and Asia.
Earlier outages involving the EASSy and SEACOM systems disrupted connectivity in multiple East African countries, highlighting the risks associated with dependence on a limited number of international routes.
Source: Africabusinessinsider