The authorities of Senegal and Mali inaugurated, on Monday 5 October in Kidira, a border post between the two countries, the interconnection of their national fiber optic networks. This joint initiative by Sénégal Numérique SA (SENUM SA) and the Société malienne de transmission et de diffusion (SMTD) aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation, secure telecom links, and improve the quality of Internet services for the populations of both nations.
This achievement relies on strategic infrastructure in each country. On the Senegalese side, the SENUM manages a national fiber optic network that spans approximately 4 000 to 4 500 km connecting major urban and administrative centers.
On the Malian side, the SMTD deploys and operates a large-scale infrastructure of over 3 000 km across the national territory. Thanks to this convergence at the border, both nations significantly strengthen the reliability and security of their communications.
By directly connecting their broadband networks, Senegal and Mali ensure faster and better-protected data circulation. Furthermore, this interconnection offers multiple advantages to telecommunications operators, technology companies, and users.
Moreover, it facilitates the development of new digital services essential to the economic and social growth of the region. "We demonstrate, through the connection between our two national backbones, that borders are in our minds and that we can lift them as long as we show determination," declared Isidore Diouf, Director General of Sénégal Numérique SA.
He also specified that the junction of these two networks constitutes a major lever to support the digital transformation of both economies. For his part, the Director of the Société malienne de transmission et de diffusion, Cheikh Oumar Traoré, highlighted the concrete impacts for the populations and the private sector.
"We are opening a new path for cooperation between our two countries. A path that transports not only data, but also opportunities, innovation, services, knowledge, and new perspectives for our youth," he stated, recalling that this initiative remains "a concrete instrument for rapprochement and regional integration."
Anselme Akéko Published on 06/10/26 20:40 The Editorial Team