African data centre operator Raxio Group says it has signed an agreement with digital network operator Laser Light Africa to accelerate internet services for seven markets in sub-Saharan Africa, starting with Angola.
Under the agreement, Raxio will pair its network of Tier III carrier-neutral data centres with Laser Light’s integrated digital network to host and route data closer to users in Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.
Laser Light will deploy its multi-domain optical mesh network – which includes terrestrial fibre, subsea cable systems, modular data systems, and medium-earth-orbit (MEO) satellite connectivity – across Raxio facilities, and establish PoPs and interconnection hubs within Raxio’s data centres to enhance regional and international traffic flows.
Raxio and Laser Light will also co-develop edge data centre strategies to bring cloud, IoT, AI, and enterprise services closer to users, whilst also addressing local compliance on data sovereignty, energy standards, and ICT frameworks in each market.
Raxio said in a statement on Thursday that the partnership aims to localise data on the continent, which it says will bring down the cost of internet in those markets by reducing international wholesale bandwidth costs by up to 90%. Raxio said it will also cut latency from hundreds of milliseconds to just a few milliseconds, enabling real-time services such as cloud computing, gaming, fintech, telemedicine and AI-driven applications.
Raxio added that its Tier III facilities – which are designed for for 99.982% availability – will make services more reliable.
The first phase of the rollout will begin in Angola next year, anchored by Raxio’s newest data centre in Luanda and integrated with the country’s established subsea cable landings and Angonix Internet Exchange Point. Subsequent phases will extend across all of Raxio’s facilities.
Raxio Group CEO Robert Skjodt added that the partnership will also create new jobs in construction, operations, and advanced network management, alongside training programs to build local expertise in Tier III data centre operations, peering, and optical technologies.
“By combining Raxio’s state-of-the-art facilities with Laser Light’s global optical network, we are delivering a platform that will power innovation, investment, and job creation for decades to come,” said Raxio Group CEO Robert Skjodt in a statement.
In April this year, Raxio secured US$100 million in financing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to double its deployment of colocation data centres across sub-Saharan Africa within three years.
Apart from Angola, Raxio currently has operational facilities in Cote d’Ivoire, the DRC, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Uganda, and will soon be present in Tanzania.
