Mali activates new fiber-optic connection with Senegal to secure internet traffic
Mali activated a new fiber-optic connection with Senegal at the Kidira-Diboli border crossing, adding a terrestrial link designed to strengthen its access to international internet networks. State-owned operators Société Malienne de Transmission et de Diffusion (SMTD-SA) and Sénégal Numérique SA established the cross-border link to route domestic traffic through submarine cables connected to Cape Verde and Portugal, according to ecofinagency.com.
As a landlocked country, Mali depends on telecommunications infrastructure in neighboring nations to reach global submarine networks. The newly commissioned corridor supplements existing terrestrial routes operated by private providers like Orange Mali and state-run entities, helping mitigate service disruptions caused by technical failures along individual pathways.
Infrastructure gaps across Malian administrative districts
World Bank data indicate that significant connectivity gaps persist within Mali’s domestic telecommunications network. While SMTD operates a national fiber-optic backbone spanning 3,500 kilometers, the infrastructure does not reach large portions of the country. A recent digital economy diagnostic found that 29 of Mali’s 57 administrative districts, known as cercles, lack connections to the national backbone.
The same diagnostic revealed that 130 of the country’s 704 secondary administrative towns are similarly disconnected from high-speed fiber infrastructure. Beyond these coverage deficits, network reliability remains constrained by technical issues along underground cable segments, challenging road conditions, security risks, and limited logistical resources that complicate routine maintenance.
Financial constraints and operational requirements for SMTD
SMTD faces ongoing financial and technical hurdles in managing its telecommunications assets. The state-owned operator must mobilize and diversify funding sources to optimize its current fiber network and replace aging transmission equipment. Extending digital access nationwide requires capital investments that go beyond fiber-optic backbones alone.
Expanding reliable internet coverage across Mali also necessitates the deployment of mobile base stations, aggregation networks, data centers, and stable electricity infrastructure. Without these complementary systems, international bandwidth secured through the new Senegalese corridor cannot be effectively distributed to households, businesses, and public institutions across regional areas.
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