A delegation from China Unicom, one of China's leading telecommunications operators, has visited Cameroon to seek the government's approval for a project to link the country to Brazil through a submarine fibre optic cable. If it goes ahead, the cable would give Cameroon a direct digital route across the South Atlantic and, through Brazil, access to the wider Latin American continent.
Talks with Cameroonian officials
During its stay, the delegation held talks with the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications and with officials of the Cameroon Telecommunications Corporation, Camtel, which manages the country's backbone infrastructure and its landing stations. After the meetings, the head of the Chinese delegation, Shusen Meng, who is also a deputy director general at the group's global business arm, spoke to the media.
Meng explained that the delegation had come to explore how China Unicom could help Cameroon realise the project of connecting the country with Brazil. In this way, he said, Cameroon would gain access not only to the large Latin American market but also to wider international connectivity.
Why the cable matters
Most of Africa's international internet traffic travels along cables that run up the coast towards Europe. A direct link across the South Atlantic would offer an alternative route, reducing dependence on a few corridors and improving resilience when a cable is cut or damaged.
Potential benefits for Cameroon
- More international bandwidth for operators and internet users
- A position as a regional hub for neighbouring countries in Central Africa
- Lower latency for traffic between Africa and South America
- New business opportunities in data centres and digital services
Questions to be answered
Large infrastructure projects of this kind raise questions that the authorities will need to address: how the project will be financed, who will own and operate the cable, what share of capacity will remain under Cameroonian control, and how prices for end users will be affected. Experts also stress that more international capacity only helps if domestic networks are expanded and access remains affordable.
China's role in African telecoms
Chinese companies are already deeply involved in Cameroon's telecommunications sector, supplying equipment and building national fibre networks. The submarine cable project would extend that cooperation to intercontinental connectivity, in line with China's broader investments in digital infrastructure across Africa.
What comes next
The project now depends on the response of the Cameroonian government and on detailed technical and financial negotiations. For a country that wants to become a digital hub in the Gulf of Guinea, a link to Brazil could be a strategic asset, provided the terms serve national interests.