What Somalia’s New Internet Looks Like From Silicon Valley

Somalia’s first terrestrial fiber optic cables have connected the country to the modern Internet.

The BBC reported that Somalis have been in “culture shock” ever since. “They’re very excited about the speed,” a spokesman from Somalia Wireless, an Internet service provider (ISP), told the BBC, which reports that: People have been flocking to hotels and Internet cafes to try out the fast service -- some seeing video platforms like YouTube and social networking sites for the first time, our correspondent says.

Until recently, Internet connectivity in Somalia came exclusively through dial-up modems and satellite. Then, Internet providers rolled out fiber optic connections in nation’s capital, Mogadishu. The cables run though Somalia’s neighbor, Kenya, which hooked up the first of four undersea cables in 2009.