Redefining competition and submarine cable ownership: Equiano, MainOne, and the making of middlemen
通过研究谷歌在非洲独立建设的Equiano电缆和被美国公司收购的MainOne电缆，揭示大型科技公司如何通过海底电缆所有权重新定义竞争并重塑中间商角色，对关注数字基础设施和科技巨头影响的研究者有价值。
With their growing power and ownership of the top layer of the internet, Big Tech are investing in submarine cables and are redefining the cable industry and, by extension, the digital economy. By exploring two submarine cables – Equiano Cable, a cable independently built and owned by Google in Africa; and MainOne Cable, a cable originally built by a Nigeria company in West Africa and later acquired by a US-based company – this article examines the complexities of critical infrastructure ownership. Through these case studies, this article, in the context of the Next Billion User discourse, highlights the ongoing redefinition of competition through obsolesce and re-making of middlemen through co-location technologies. It notes the evolution of Google from a content provider to a telecommunication, media, and tech company – the convergence of different sectors under Google’s control. Finally, it opens opportunity for further research on cables, centralization, convergence, coloniality, digital risks, and other critical issues that may arise from Big Tech’s growing ownership across the pillars of the digital economy. It also highlights the landscape of connectivity infrastructure in West Africa (with a specific focus on Nigeria).