Guinean govt says backbone to cost USD 300 million

It will cost USD 300 million to build a national backbone for Guinea connected to the ACE cable connecting Africa to Europe undersea cable, Aminata reports. The 14 Gbps cable will run through 4,000 km of Guinea's territory (to reach landlocked countries, ostensibly). The cable landing in Guinea was funded by USD 25 million from the World Bank and EUR 9 million from mobile operators and the state. Another USD 300 million will be needed for the inland network, according to minister Oye Guilavogui. A tender will be launched for international experts and financial partners. There are already five containers of civil engineering equipment stored in Kipe, to be used to start work in February 2012. He said it would take up to one year to complete the civil engineering work for the international cable, with fibre laying to begin in December 2012. The cable landed in Guinea at the end of January.