What Somcable does

Somcable is a private fiber optic network operator headquartered in Hargeisa, Somaliland, founded in 2009 as part of the MSG Group of Companies. The company operates as an open wholesale fiber carrier covering approximately 80% of Somaliland and providing cross-border connectivity linking Djibouti, Somaliland, and Puntland. Its underlying network is an IP-over-Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) backbone capable of transmitting data at over 400 gb/s, with a metropolitan layer in Hargeisa built on three redundant rings and extension coverage in Boramo, Berbera, and Burco. In May 2022, Somcable landed two international subsea cables—the 2Africa and PEACE cables—in Somaliland, materially expanding its international bandwidth position.

The company's product portfolio is organized into three customer tiers: Enterprise (cloud, connectivity, and security solutions including CloudWorx, Fibre To The Business, Corporate FIA, UTM-based hosted security, and enhanced email/endpoint protection), Service Provider (Carrier Ethernet, Global IP Transit, Global Carrier Services, Transmission, and Infrastructure Solutions including DDC Tier 3 colocation and dark fibre leasing), and Small Business (Office 365, voice, online backup, broadband, FTTB, wireless, and security). It monetizes primarily through recurring B2B subscriptions, selling wholesale capacity to carriers and ISPs and direct connectivity services to enterprises and SMBs across the Horn of Africa.

Somcable distributes via direct B2B sales engagement across its three segments, supported by an official website and a partner-recruitment channel. Operationally, the company is licenced under a 25-year fiber optic network license originally granted in 2009 (running through 2034). In January 2026, it held strategic talks with Ethio Telecom to explore a cross-border digital and telecoms partnership aligned with Ethio Telecom's 'Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028' strategy, signaling continued regional expansion intent. The company maintains no publicly disclosed pricing and no disclosed revenue figures.

Name

Somcable

Legal name

Somcable, LLC

Website

https://somcable.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Somcable is a Hargeisa-based open wholesale fiber optic operator covering 80% of Somaliland with cross-border links to Djibouti and Puntland, two landed subsea cables, and a Tier 3 data center, serving carriers, ISPs, enterprises, and SMBs across the Horn of Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Infrastructure

NAICS

Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111)

SIC

Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Wholesale Wavelength, Spectrum & Dark Fiber Providers (IRU/Leases) (HDAIALAI)

Keywords

• Wholesale fiber optic services
• Enterprise connectivity solutions
• Carrier ethernet services
• Global IP transit
• Data center colocation

Headquarters

HQ city

Hargeisa

HQ country

Somalia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Fiber Optic Services: Open wholesale fiber optic operator providing wholesale capacity and transit services to carriers and ISPs across the Horn of Africa. Services include global IP transit, global transit solutions, and infrastructure solutions such as colocation and dark fibre leasing.
2. Enterprise Services: Enterprise cloud solutions, connectivity solutions (Broadband FIA, Fibre to the Business, Corporate FIA, Direct Internet Access, Wireless Internet Access), and security solutions (Hosted Security, Enhanced Email, Endpoint Protection) sold to enterprise customers.
3. Service Provider Solutions: Carrier Ethernet solutions, global carrier services, transmission solutions (Global IP Transit), and infrastructure solutions (Colocation, Dark Fibre) for telecommunications carriers and ISPs.
4. Small Business Services: Cloud solutions (Office 365, Voice, Online Backup, Domain/Email hosting), connectivity solutions (Broadband FIA, Fibre to the Business, CloudWorx, Wireless, Corporate FIA, Direct Internet Access), and security solutions for small to medium businesses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Somcable is an open wholesale fiber optic operator providing telecommunications infrastructure and managed connectivity services across the Horn of Africa. The company builds and operates a fiber optic network covering 80% of Somaliland with redundant metro rings in Hargeisa and links to Djibouti and Puntland. It sells enterprise cloud, connectivity, and security solutions to business customers, carrier-grade Ethernet, global transit, colocation, and dark fiber services to telecom operators and ISPs, and bundled connectivity, cloud productivity, and security services to small businesses.

Product overview

Somcable operates as an open wholesale fiber optic operator providing telecommunications services to the Horn of Africa. Founded in 2009 as part of MSG Group of Companies, the company offers a multi-tiered product portfolio organized into Enterprise, Service Provider, and Small Business segments. The Enterprise tier provides Cloud Solutions, Connectivity Solutions, and Security Solutions. The Service Provider tier offers Carrier Ethernet Solutions, Global Carrier Services, Global Transit Solutions, Infrastructure Solutions (Colocation and Dark Fibre), and Transmission Solutions. The Small Business tier includes Cloud Solutions (Office 365, Voice, Online Backup, Domain/Email Hosting), Connectivity Solutions (Broadband FIA, Fibre To The Business, CloudWorx, Corporate FIA, Direct Internet Access), and Security Solutions (Hosted Security, Enhanced Email, Endpoint Protection). The company operates a next-generation IP over DWDM fiber network capable of transmitting data at over 400gb/s, covering 80% of Somaliland with redundant paths to Djibouti, Somaliland, and Puntland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Enterprise Cloud Solutions Advanced data storage, transfer, and processing solutions delivered to enterprise clients over Somcable's fiber optic network, including direct cloud connectivity to providers such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.
• Enterprise Connectivity Solutions High-speed fiber-based enterprise connectivity including Broadband FIA, Fibre to the Business, Corporate FIA, Direct Internet Access, and Wireless Internet Access for large organizations.
• Enterprise Security Solutions Network security services for enterprise clients using next-generation firewall technology, including hosted security, enhanced email protection, and endpoint protection.
• Carrier Ethernet Solutions Burstable point-to-point or point-to-multipoint Ethernet connectivity with 95th percentile billing and flexible bandwidth between major local and global interconnection points, targeted at telecommunications carriers and ISPs.
• Global Carrier Service Comprehensive carrier services including Direct Internet Access with SLA-backed Tier-1 symmetrical bandwidth and Last Mile/Access connectivity for telecom operators and ISPs.
• Global Transit Solutions IP transit services providing complete Internet Transit reaching Africa, Europe, Asia, USA, and other continent-based destinations for carriers and ISPs.
• Infrastructure Solutions Carrier infrastructure services including DDC colocation at a purpose-built Tier 3 data center facility with scalability and continuity, and leasing of unused dark fibre cables.
• Transmission Solutions Global IP transit and transmission services designed for carriers and ISPs requiring complete Internet transit reaching Africa, Europe, Asia, USA, or any continent-based destination.
• Small Business Cloud Solutions Cloud services for small to medium businesses including Office 365 subscription, international wholesale voice services, disk-to-disk online backup, domain/email hosting, and video conferencing.
• Small Business Connectivity Solutions Cost-effective broadband and fiber connectivity for small businesses including Broadband FIA, Fibre to the Business, CloudWorx, Wireless Internet Access, Corporate FIA, and Direct Internet Access.
• Small Business Security Solutions Security services for small businesses using a UTM platform with next-generation firewall, Enhanced Email with archiving and anti-virus, and Endpoint Protection for devices.
• CloudWorx Direct connection service to cloud providers including Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services that improves reliability and security while reducing network costs and increasing bandwidth.
• Broadband FIA Cost-friendly high-speed uncapped and unshaped fiber broadband internet service for small to medium businesses.
• Fibre To The Business Scalable, reliable high-speed fiber connectivity with unlimited symmetrical uncontended bandwidth, technical support, and cloud readiness.
• Corporate FIA High-speed, low-latency SLA-backed fiber internet access for medium to large businesses delivered over Somcable's global network.
• Direct Internet Access Broadband and corporate internet access via dependable last-mile microwave connectivity for off-fiber sites, and as interim or backup solutions.
• Office 365 Microsoft Office 365 subscription services providing access to Word, PowerPoint, and Excel with multiplatform support and up-to-date technology.
• Voice Services International wholesale voice services with international nodes, extensive capacity network, and worldwide direct interconnections.
• Online Backup Disk-to-disk backup and recovery solution for Windows, Mac, and Linux with incremental backup, data deduplication, and item-level recovery.
• Domain/Email Hosting Domain name registration, email hosting, email alias services, and video conferencing hosting.
• Hosted Security UTM-based security solution protecting websites and visitors from cyber-attacks using next-generation firewall technology.
• Enhanced Email

Quantifiable outcome

• Network coverage of 80% of Somaliland
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ethio TelecomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026Ethio Telecom and Somcable have held talks to explore a strategic cross-border digital and telecoms partnership. Ethio Telecom CEO Frehiwot Tamru met with a Somcable delegation to discuss collaboration aligned with Ethio Telecom's 'Next Horizon: Digital & Beyond 2028' strategy. Both companies framed the potential partnership as a commitment to advancing digital connectivity and economic growth across Africa.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Liquid Intelligent Technologies: Pan-African fiber operator and wholesale carrier with extensive subsea and terrestrial network across the continent. Operates a similar wholesale IP transit, dark fiber, and carrier Ethernet model to Somcable but at multi-country scale, making it the most relevant incumbent benchmark and potential regional competitor.
• SEACOM: Subsea cable operator landing on the East African coast with IP transit and colocation services for carriers and ISPs. Directly comparable as a subsea cable landing party and wholesale bandwidth provider serving the same East African corridor that Somcable connects to from Somaliland.
• WIOCC: African wholesale carrier consortium that aggregates capacity from multiple subsea cables for delivery to African operators. Highly comparable to Somcable's wholesale IP transit and carrier Ethernet business model and could directly compete for the same regional carrier customers.
• CSquared: Open-access metro and backbone fiber operator in Africa backed by Google and other investors. Directly comparable in business model—wholesale, open-access fiber and colocation for carriers and ISPs—though focused on West and parts of East Africa rather than the Horn of Africa.

Direct peers

• MainOne: West African fiber and subsea cable operator (now part of Equinix) offering wholesale capacity, IP transit, and colocation services. Comparable as an African regional subsea landing party and wholesale fiber operator with a similar product mix targeting carriers and enterprises.
• Telesom: Incumbent telecom operator in Somaliland providing mobile, fixed, and data services to enterprises and consumers. Direct competitor for enterprise and SMB connectivity customers in Somaliland, and a likely buyer of Somcable's wholesale transit and dark fiber capacity.
• Hormuud Telecom: Largest telecom operator in Somalia/Somaliland with mobile, fixed broadband, and enterprise services. Comparable as a competing infrastructure and service provider in the same geography, and a major potential wholesale customer of Somcable's backbone and subsea capacity.
• Golis Telecom: Somaliland-based telecom operator offering mobile and data services across the same domestic market as Somcable. Comparable as a competing last-mile connectivity provider and a potential wholesale buyer of capacity on Somcable's network.

Regional players

• Africa Online: Long-established ISP operating in multiple East African markets providing broadband and connectivity services. Comparable as an East African ISP customer base and competitor for SMB and enterprise connectivity, though primarily retail-focused rather than wholesale.
• Djibouti Telecom: State-owned incumbent operator in Djibouti that lands multiple international subsea cables and serves as the regional gateway. Comparable as a subsea cable landing party and cross-border carrier whose infrastructure Somcable's network interconnects with at the Djibouti border.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/somcableltd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Somcable