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On 8 October 2025, the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology & Postal Services announced that construction of a 2,400-km national fibre optic backbone network will begin in December. Previously, the Ministry of Telecommunication and Postal Services (MoTPS) of South Sudan completed initial planning for a national fibre optic backbone in 2014. According to the ‘South Sudan Infrastructure Action Plan’ published by the African Development Bank (AfDB), this 5,720-km national fibre network would cost an estimated USD 113 million to build (see South Sudan: Ministry Plans 5,720-Km National Fibre Backbone In South Sudan).

The planned National Broadband Network is to establish three corridors, and the plan proposes to build out the Eastern corridor in the short term, the Central corridor in the medium term, and finally the Western corridor:

Eastern Corridor: Renk – Malakal – Bor – Juba – Torit - Kapoeta through to Lokichoggio (Kenya), with a spur line from Malakal to Bentiu.

Central Corridor: El-Mujlad - As Sumayh – Aweil – Wau – Rumbek – Juba – Nimule – Gulu (Uganda), with a spur line from Wau to Raja and another to Kwacjok.

Western Corridor: Wau – Tambura – Yambio – Yei - Kaya (to Uganda), with spur lines Maridi-Mundri and Yei – Juba.

In January 2020, Liquid Intelligent Technologies (LIT) completed the construction of a 200-km fibre optic route connecting Juba to the border of Uganda through Nimule (see South Sudan: Liquid Telecom Completes South Sudan’s First International Fibre Link, From Juba to Nimule (Uganda)). This was South Sudan’s first international fibre optic link, and from the border with Uganda connects to LIT’s 70,000-km regional fibre optic network and submarine cables landing in Mombasa (Kenya).

Before the completion of the new fibre link from Juba to Uganda, South Sudan did not have any cross-border fibre optic connectivity to its neighbouring countries, or to submarine cable landing points. South Sudan was connected by satellite links and a microwave network to Uganda, with onward connectivity via Uganda’s national fibre optic backbone.

Source: Ministry of Information, Communication Technology & Postal Services, African Development Bank (AfDB)