These countries have relied on expensive satellite communications with limited bandwidth for Internet connectivity, keeping the cost of basic Internet access high, with transmission rates ranging from 16k bps to 1M bps, according to Sierra Leone Information Minister Ibrahim Kargbo.

The new cable system entrants coming to market will provide access to broadband connectivity for operators in the region -- either directly for coastal countries or indirectly through terrestrial links for landlocked countries -- and offer improved connectivity to telecommunications networks in Europe, the Americas and Asia.

(Additional reporting by Olusegun Ogundeji in Sierra Leone.)