CSquared is quietly shaping the backbone of Africa’s internet. In this exclusive conversation with TechArena, Napoleon Mengot, Group Strategy Manager and DRC Country Manager, shares the company’s journey, its open-access philosophy and what a Digitally Connected Africa could look like by 2030.
From its beginnings as a Google initiative to its current status as a multi-market infrastructure player, CSquared has played a defining role in bringing reliable connectivity to millions across the continent. Mengot explains how collaboration, long-term thinking and open-access networks are driving the continent’s digital transformation.
For readers who may not be familiar, could you introduce CSquared and the role it plays in Africa’s digital infrastructure space?
Napoleon Mengot:
CSquared is a carrier-neutral, open-access digital infrastructure company. In practice, that means we build networks and make them available to multiple players. Our core customers are mobile network operators (MNOs) and internet service providers (ISPs) across Africa.
The company began as a Google initiative in 2011 called Project Link. At the time, most MNOs and ISPs had to build their own networks to carry out service deliveries, which tied up capital and slowed expansion. To solve this, Google piloted a shared fiber model in Uganda, building 1,000 kilometers of network between Entebbe and Kampala. Completed in 2013, the project proved highly successful.
In 2015, Google repeated the model in Accra, Ghana, with another 1,000 kilometers of fiber which was equally successful. By 2017, as it prepared to expand into Liberia with the government and USAID, Google decided to transition the initiative from projects into a company that could scale across Africa. It brought in new shareholders, Convergence Partners (South Africa), Mitsui & Co. (Japan), and the IFC (part of the World Bank), and formally launched CSquared. The company later expanded into Kenya (2019), the DRC (2021), and Togo (2022). In November 2023, Google exited as a shareholder, and CSquared became a fully autonomous company. Today, Convergence Partners is our largest investor.
Across our markets, CSquared owns and operates networks at different layers. In Togo, we are the landing partner for Google’s Equiano cable and operate the cable landing station. In other countries, we build backbone networks linking landing stations, data centers, and cities. Within cities, we deploy metropolitan “metro” fiber networks, and at the edge, we deliver last-mile connectivity (FTTx) to businesses, homes, and towers.
Our open-access model means that instead of each operator building a network for its own use, CSquared builds once and shares with many. This accelerates deployment, lowers costs, and makes connectivity more efficient across the continent.
CSquared is known for its vision of a Digitally Connected Africa. How do you balance that big-picture goal with the realities of operating in individual markets
Napoleon Mengot:
CSquared balances this big-picture goal through thorough research. I currently double as Group Strategy Manager and DRC Country Manager, and our way of working brings together teams across the organization including business development and technical to align a continental vision with market-specific precision. Our work involves studying 5- to 10-year national connectivity plans, consulting with ministries and regulators, and engaging directly with operators and enterprises to assess demand and country-specific operations.
By analyzing in depth, we gain both a broad view of regional trends and detailed insights into individual markets. This allows us to tailor our approach in each country and align our rollout pace with the demand and investment appetite of our core clients: MNOs and ISPs.
How does CSquared approach partnerships with telcos, ISPs, and governments to ensure that collaborations are sustainable?
Napoleon Mengot:
Before entering a new country, CSquared begins by engaging directly with the telcos and ISPs already operating there. They share valuable insights on challenges such as licensing timelines, right-of-way access, and the competitive landscape.
With this intelligence, we then approach regulators and ministries, not only as rule-setters but as partners in enabling growth. We present our findings alongside letters of interest from operators, demonstrating both demand and impact. This makes the conversation concrete and aligned with national priorities.
For example, in the DRC, when we planned our first deployment in Kinshasa, we were able to show regulators how our network would accelerate expansion in the city and beyond. This collaborative, evidence-based approach helps secure licenses, builds trust, and ensures our partnerships with governments and operators are sustainable over the long term.
Regulation often shapes the pace of connectivity projects. What regulatory shifts would you like to see across African markets to accelerate broadband rollout?
Napoleon Mengot:
Regulators play a decisive role in shaping the pace of broadband rollout. One area where progress is especially needed is cross-border connectivity. Understandably, regulators are often focused on domestic priorities, which can slow the pace of regional alignment. Yet for operators like us, seamless cross-border networks are essential.
We believe the initiative should start with industry players: telcos, ISPs, and companies like CSquared. By collaborating with partners across borders, we can design the technical and commercial framework first, then jointly present it to regulators. This approach makes the process more seamless, accelerates reviews, and enables faster rollout once approvals are in place.
Because regulators may not always have access to practical models, we help speed up decision-making by providing white papers, case studies, and examples from other markets. I’ve seen this approach work effectively in Kenya, the DRC, and Togo, where regulators have been highly receptive when presented with data-backed, proven solutions.
Beyond kilometers of fiber laid, how does CSquared measure the real impact of its investments on startups, small businesses, and end-users?
Napoleon Mengot:
At CSquared, we look beyond kilometers of fiber to measure how connectivity changes lives and economies. Research by one of our shareholders, the IFC, shows that a 10% increase in internet penetration can raise a country’s GDP by 2.5%; a powerful 4-to-1 ratio.
We’ve witnessed this effect firsthand in markets like the DRC, Ghana, Liberia, and Togo. When connectivity reaches rural areas, entire communities transform, new jobs emerge, mobile money transactions multiply, and digital apps become part of daily life. Small businesses and traders begin selling online, creating opportunities that simply didn’t exist before.
Financial services also expand rapidly. Banks gain access to new customers in previously unconnected regions, while mobile operators scale their mobile banking platforms. In short, every kilometer of fiber deployed fuels broader outcomes, commerce, financial inclusion, and job creation.
Looking at CSquared’s expansion interconnecting Accra, Abidjan, and Lagos, what lessons can be applied to Eastern and Central Africa?
Napoleon Mengot:
Two key lessons from our expansion interconnecting Accra, Abidjan, and Lagos apply directly to Eastern and Central Africa. The first is redundancy. In recent years, disruptions to submarine cables have left entire countries offline, especially those with only one landing station. Building terrestrial backbones between countries creates resilience by ensuring alternative routes and reducing the risk of complete outages.
The second is keeping traffic within the continent. Today, a WhatsApp message sent from DRC to Lagos may travel through Lisbon or London before returning to Lagos. This adds latency and diverts significant revenue to operators outside the region. With terrestrial fiber linking cities like Accra, Lomé, Cotonou and Lagos, traffic remains local. Latency drops, and more of the economic value stays in Africa.
For Central Africa, the impact could be transformative. The DRC borders nine countries; if traffic could move directly across those borders instead of leaving the continent, it would generate substantial regional revenue. The same principle applies to East Africa, where cross-border terrestrial links can dramatically strengthen resilience and capture more value locally.
How do you see terrestrial infrastructure working alongside subsea cables to benefit inland countries?
Napoleon Mengot:
Terrestrial and subsea infrastructure are not substitutes, they are complements. Subsea cables are essential for connecting Africa to the rest of the world; the only alternative would be satellites, which are less efficient and more costly. But within Africa, terrestrial fiber is indispensable. Landlocked nations rely entirely on terrestrial backbones to access those subsea landing points.
Even in large coastal countries, subsea cables alone are insufficient: terrestrial networks are needed to carry connectivity from landing stations deep into the interior. For example, in the DRC, coastal landing stations cannot serve the center or east without extensive inland fiber.
In short, subsea cables deliver global reach, while terrestrial fiber ensures that reach extends inland and connects neighboring countries. Together, they create a resilient ecosystem that not only improves performance but also lowers costs, making broadband more affordable and unlocking new economic opportunities for businesses and communities across the continent.
What steps is CSquared taking to ensure that greater capacity also means lower costs for citizens and small businesses?
Napoleon Mengot:
At CSquared, greater capacity must translate into lower costs for citizens and small businesses. First, our carrier-neutral, open-access model ensures that infrastructure costs are shared. If only two operators use a network, they bear the cost between them. But if four or more operators come on board, the expense is spread wider, driving prices down for everyone.
Second, we design our networks for long lifespans. Fiber is capital-intensive, but instead of seeking quick returns in two or three years, many of our projects are modeled on 15-year horizons. This long-term approach allows us to spread costs more sustainably and ensure durable impact.
Finally, we anchor our pricing to affordability. In each market, we research average earning power and target internet costs at around 2% of the average salary. Using that as a baseline, we work backwards to determine the right pricing per megabyte or gigabyte, ensuring that connectivity remains within reach of citizens and small businesses.
Competition in Africa’s digital infrastructure space is heating up. How does CSquared differentiate itself in such a dynamic market?
Napoleon Mengot:
We see competition in Africa’s digital infrastructure space as healthy — it lowers costs and strengthens the ecosystem. CSquared differentiates itself by focusing less on direct competition and more on filling gaps in coverage.
When we enter a market, we start by engaging with existing players. If 25% of a city is already covered with fiber, we don’t duplicate that effort. Instead, we may buy and lease back infrastructure, turning competitors into customers, or lease from them to accelerate our own rollout. From there, we concentrate on building in the remaining 75% of the city where connectivity is still lacking.
This approach means we’re not just chasing market share, we’re expanding the overall pie. By complementing existing networks rather than duplicating them, we help accelerate progress toward our vision of a Digitally Connected Africa. In short, CSquared’s role is to be the enabler that connects where others can’t or won’t.
Talent is as critical as technology. What skills or workforce investments do you believe are most needed to power Africa’s digital economy in the next decade?
Napoleon Mengot:
Talent is as critical as technology in powering Africa’s digital economy. Over the next decade, technical skills will be paramount, from core network engineering to emerging fields like AI, which is already reshaping industries worldwide. Building AI-driven capabilities will be central to Africa’s digital transformation.
At CSquared, we invest in this future through internship programs across our markets, lasting three, six, or even twelve months. These programs give students and recent graduates hands-on experience while keeping us open to fresh perspectives and new ideas. This isn’t just about creating jobs for today, it’s about nurturing the “kings and queens of technology” who will drive innovation, build new businesses, and shape Africa’s digital future.
Finally, looking ahead to 2030 – what does a Digitally Connected Africa look like to you, and what role will CSquared play in it?
Napoleon Mengot:
By 2030, a Digitally Connected Africa will be defined by three major shifts.
The first is a boom in data centers. Today, Africa has far fewer data centers than other continents, sometimes fewer than a single U.S. city. But in just the past two years, growth has accelerated, and this trend will continue through the decade.
The second is the fiber infrastructure linking those data centers, within countries, across regions, and internationally. This is where CSquared plays a central role, building the terrestrial backbones that make interconnection possible.
The third is fibre-connected mobile towers. Many towers today still depend on wireless backhaul, which adds latency and suffers in bad weather. Fiber-to-tower connectivity will transform reliability, speed, and user experience across the continent.
Encouragingly, many African governments have set 2030 as their target year for widespread fiberization, with some, like Togo, pushing even faster. This alignment means that CSquared’s goals and those of policymakers are converging, creating the momentum needed to achieve a fully connected Africa. In that future, CSquared’s role is clear: to be the backbone that links data centers, towers, and countries together, helping unlock the digital economy for every African.
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Also Read: Westcon-Comstor’s Vincent Entonu: “Africa Is Not a Late Adopter of Technology”
