Cabo Verde's Digital Transformation
Cabo Verde's Digital Transformation: Pioneering Connectivity in the Atlantic
Cabo Verde, the volcanic archipelago off West Africa's coast, is undergoing a remarkable digital transformation, positioning itself as a regional digital hub by 2030. With a strategic location bridging Europe, Africa, and the Americas, the nation leverages its telecommunications infrastructure to drive economic diversification beyond tourism—aiming for 90% internet penetration by 2026 and 80% digitized public services by 2030. Supported by World Bank initiatives and a national 5G strategy launched in September 2025, Cabo Verde's telecom ecosystem—encompassing submarine cables, fiber optics, satellite links, and global partnerships—fuels e-government, education, and innovation. This transformation, backed by €45 million investments like the TechPark CV hub, enhances resilience against geographic isolation, fostering a smart society in line with Ambition 2030.
Telecommunications Infrastructure: The Backbone of Connectivity
Cabo Verde's telecom sector, dominated by state-owned Cabo Verde Telecom (CVT) and private players like Unitel, boasts robust infrastructure that overcomes its island geography. With 85% mobile penetration and broadband speeds averaging 50 Mbps, the nation invests heavily in fiber and subsea systems to support data-intensive applications like AI and remote work.
Inter-Island Submarine Cable System
The Sistema de Cabo Submarino Inter-Ilhas forms the archipelago's circulatory system, linking its 10 main islands via a 1,500 km network of high-capacity submarine cables. Deployed progressively since 2010, this system ensures low-latency connectivity—critical for real-time services like telemedicine on remote Fogo or e-learning in Santo Antão. Recent upgrades, funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB), have boosted capacity to 100 Gbps per link, enabling seamless data flow across the islands and supporting the rollout of 5G pilots on Sal and Boa Vista.
Terrestrial Fiber Optic Network
Complementing subsea links, Cabo Verde's Rede Terrestre de Fibra Ótica spans over 2,000 km on major islands, connecting urban centers like Praia and Mindelo to rural outposts. Initiated under the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact (2015-2020), this backbone network integrates with CVT's data centers, providing symmetric upload/download speeds up to 1 Gbps. By 2025, fiber coverage reaches 70% of households, powering smart city initiatives in Praia, where IoT sensors monitor traffic and utilities, reducing energy waste by 15%.
Satellite Communications
For hard-to-reach areas, Comunicações Via Satélite via VSAT and LEO constellations like Starlink (piloted since 2023) ensure universal access. Covering 95% of territory, including uninhabited islets, this hybrid model supports fisheries tracking in São Vicente and disaster response during cyclones. Partnerships with Intelsat enhance resilience, with satellite backhaul now handling 20% of rural broadband traffic.
International Communications via Submarine Cables
Cabo Verde's global tether is the Atlantis-2 cable, a 6,000 km fiber optic link operational since 2000, connecting Praia to Fortaleza (Brazil), Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire), and Lisbon (Portugal). This aging but vital artery supports 10 Tbps of capacity, facilitating 80% of international data traffic. To future-proof, the EllaLink project— a 6,000 km direct Europe-Africa cable—advanced significantly in 2025 with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CVT and EllaLink. Landing in Maio, EllaLink will deliver 72 Tbps by late 2026, slashing latency to 60 ms with Europe and enabling Cabo Verde as a data transit hub for West Africa. This upgrade, co-financed by the EIB, positions the islands as a low-cost gateway under AGOA and ECOWAS frameworks.
Strategic Partnerships: Global Tech Giants Fuel Innovation
Cabo Verde's digital leap is amplified by collaborations with Microsoft and Huawei, injecting expertise and resources into infrastructure and applications.
Partnership with Microsoft
In a landmark 2023 agreement—implemented from November 2024—Cabo Verde became the first nation under Microsoft's Digital Development Program (DDP), focusing on AI-driven transformation. The initiative equips 8,000 teachers and 135,000 students with Microsoft 365 tools, digitizing curricula and fostering AI literacy. Public administration benefits from Azure cloud for e-services, while a startup accelerator in TechPark CV supports 50+ ventures annually. By 2025, this has streamlined visa processing (reducing wait times by 70%) and launched an AI ethics framework, making Cabo Verde a PALOP leader in digital innovation.
Partnership with Huawei Technologies
Huawei's involvement since 2018 has modernized CVT's core networks, including the national data center and eGovernment cloud. Deploying 5G base stations and SDN (Software-Defined Networking) on fiber backhaul, Huawei enabled the archipelago's first 5G trials in 2025, targeting full coverage by 2028. The partnership extends to cybersecurity training for 1,000+ professionals and green tech, like solar-powered edge nodes, aligning with Cabo Verde's 50% renewable energy goal. This has cut data costs by 40%, boosting SME digital adoption.
Future Outlook: Towards a Digital Hub
With World Bank financing for eGovernment digitization—targeting 60% services online by 2026—Cabo Verde eyes €200 million in FDI for data centers by 2030. The 5G strategy emphasizes economic feasibility, with pilots enhancing port logistics in Mindelo and agritech on Santiago. Challenges like cyber threats and skills gaps are addressed via Huawei/Microsoft academies, while EllaLink promises