By Kay-Lyne Wolfenden
Liberia has strengthened its digital transformation agenda by helping forge a regional consensus on the commercialization of excess fiber optic capacity along the TRANSCO CLSG transmission network. The agreement emerged from a high-level workshop held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, that brought together telecommunications and ICT officials from Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, TRANSCO CLSG, and international consultancy TACTIS SA.
During the discussions, Liberia highlighted the importance of expanding broadband infrastructure and reducing the country’s dependence on a single international connectivity route through the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE) submarine cable. Officials noted that reliance on one landing point in Monrovia creates a potential single point of failure that could expose the country to significant digital and economic disruptions if outages occur.
By leveraging the TRANSCO CLSG network’s available fiber capacity, Liberia aims to establish terrestrial redundancy links through Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea, strengthening the resilience of its communications infrastructure. The network’s transmission line passes through several Liberian counties, creating opportunities to extend high-capacity broadband services beyond the capital to underserved communities, schools, healthcare facilities, and businesses across the country.
Liberia also presented its efforts to establish a Special Purpose Vehicle involving licensed telecommunications operators and government stakeholders to support the commercialization of the network. While participants considered several implementation models, the workshop reached a consensus on creating a regional consortium of designated licensed operators from member countries to accelerate deployment and reduce the cost of cross-border communications.
The participating countries agreed on a roadmap aimed at operationalizing the fiber optic capacity before the end of 2026. Key milestones include the designation of consortium entities by ICT ministries, the establishment of a technical working group to develop a consortium agreement, and the signing of commercial arrangements between TRANSCO CLSG and participating operators.
Liberian officials described the workshop as a significant step toward improving digital resilience, expanding broadband access, and strengthening regional connectivity across West Africa. The initiative is expected to support greater digital inclusion, enhance network reliability, and create new opportunities for economic development through improved telecommunications infrastructure.
