Google takes its high-speed fiber Internet to Uganda

Only a handful of cities in the United States are connected to Google Fiber, but the latest city to get an upgrade in its Internet service from Google isn't in the U.S., it's in Uganda.

Last week, Google announced Project Link, a high-speed, high-capacity fiber network in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, to allow local mobile operators and Internet service providers to provide a faster, more reliable Internet connection.

"By making this connection, we’re strengthening a crucial piece of the Internet supply chain," said Google's Kai Wulff in a blog post. "Some parts of the chain are already strong: undersea cables are bringing data to Africa’s shores and mobile providers are expanding services across the continent. We’ve now built quality infrastructure in between these points to deliver the speed and capacity that supports the latest and greatest of the web."

Of course, the main benefit for Ugandans is that faster Internet could serve as a boost to innovation and business in the city and throughout the country. And, as Technology Review points out, the benefit to Google is connecting more people to the Internet, a good thing for its ad sales business. Google is already working on another project that uses balloons to connect people in rural areas to the Internet.

It's hardly a surprise Google is turning to Africa for reach its goal of connecting more people to the Internet. Currently, only about 16 percent of the population in Africa is connected. But there's growth on the horizon, especially in the mobile category where the smartphone market is expected to double in the next four years.