Financial Crime World

Cabo Verde’s Digital Future: Unlocking Opportunities for Economic Growth

Cabo Verde is on the cusp of revolutionizing its digital landscape with a proposal to deploy a fiber-optic cable connecting all member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The Amilcar Cabral project has the potential to generate significant returns on investment and create new opportunities for economic growth.

Unlocking Additional Capacity

The team behind the proposal recommends conducting a full feasibility and commercial assessment, given the crucial importance of this infrastructure initiative. With an additional 400 GB of extra capacity, there is a unique opportunity for commercialization and financial viability, both regionally and domestically.

Universal Connectivity Access

Cabo Verde aims to significantly reduce its digital divide by providing universal connectivity access within the various islands of the archipelago through public-private partnerships. This will support high-speed connectivity and access to online academic content for higher education institutions and secondary schools.

Expanding Demand through Monetization

The country has invested heavily in establishing a world-class data center at the Technology Park in Praia, hosting and managing data for various government agencies, companies, banks, and national and foreign entities. With an unused capacity of 50%, there is significant potential for commercializing this remaining space and scaling up cloud infrastructure.

Four Channels for Increasing Demand

  • Neutral Data Port: Establishing a data port within the Techno Park would allow data from other countries to be stored and processed in Cabo Verde’s Data Center, while adhering to individual country-specific data jurisdictions.
  • Digital Government Services: Expanding the development and adoption of digital government solutions and services nationally and regionally offers an opportunity for growth.
  • Data-Driven Industries’ Clusters: Attracting businesses in high-data-driven sectors like Media, e-Trade, Transportation, and Tourism requires access to advanced skills and regulatory resorts.
  • Frequencies Release: Releasing frequencies will enable investors to install 5G networks, deploy experimentation and proofs of concept, and develop effective partnerships between operators and use case verticals.

Next Steps and Timeline

The team will prepare a policy note within the next 10 weeks outlining the above findings and articulating a set of recommendations. The draft note will be shared with stakeholders for input and feedback. With an opportunity to disseminate the findings during the May 2019 conference, the emphasis is on creating favorable conditions to build connectivity and drive investment, job creation, and economic diversification in Cabo Verde through accelerated digital transformation.

By unlocking these opportunities, Cabo Verde is poised to leapfrog other regional countries, attract related investment and talent, and position itself as a leader in digital infrastructure.