For years, African countries were connected to the worldwide internet by some limited-capacity submarine cables and by satellite. Over the next year or two, that is changing. Africa is being surrounded by high-capacity cables, along east and west coasts, and landing points on the shore will be connected to landlocked countries.
If all these plans go ahead, by 2011 there will be 3.3 terabits a second connecting countries on the east coast and 7.6 terabits on the west coast. In addition, the north coast will have an extra 3.8 terabits.
Another cable will connect directly from the east coast to the United Arab Emirates.
South Africa, at the southern end of both coasts, will bask in the well-connected glory of some 10 terabits a second. Some of it will be in service by June 11 2010, when the month-long Football World Cup championship starts in Johannesburg.
Even non-coastal countries — such as Botswana, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe — will benefit, as the arrival of submarine broadband is stimulating the construction of terrestrial fibre networks.
Excitement
African telecoms executives make no mistake about their excitement that these new connections will make to the business opportunities for them and their customers.
There’s already plenty of evidence that the possession of mobile phones stimulates the local economy in emerging nations — but until now broadband internet connections have been prohibitively expensive and, well, not broadband.
And even phone links within Africa have mainly been by satellite until now — incurring cost and that half-second delay which Europeans and Americans used to experience on transatlantic calls until fibre cables took over.
The west coast will be best connected, with four cables planned to run all the way from South Africa to Morocco, with onward connections to western Europe.
There will be two cables — Seacom and EASSy — running along the east, again terminating in South Africa and running up to the Red Sea through Egypt to Europe via the Mediterranean as well as across the ocean to India.
Global Telecoms Business has tried to compile this list of African cables from diverse sources, including the companies themselves — though not all information is yet available, as some plans are still being finalised.
In particular, cable operators can change their plans to land at any point on the coast right until the cable comes up on to the beach.
We will post this information on the Global Telecoms Business website, www.globaltelecomsbusiness.com and try to keep it up to data as more information becomes available.
Inevitably, prices for international connections will fall — and perhaps some projects will be unviable because of the glut of competition. But once the capacity is installed, it will be there and will serve the people of Africa.
East coast
Seacom (South Africa-East Africa-Fibre Optic Cable)
Mauritian company owned 75% by African investors. Capacity 1.28 terabits a second, 17,000 kilometres. Backhauls to Johannesburg, Nairobi and Kampala, plus Indian-owned link to India and French-owned link to France. In service July 2009
www.seacom.mu
EASSy (East African Submarine System)
Owned through WIOCC, based in Kenya. 10,000 kilometres in two fibre pairs from South Africa to Sudan. Collapsed loop architecture, 1.4 terabits a second. Links 20 African countries via 10 landing stations and internal links to landlocked destinations. Expected completion Q2 2010
www.wiocc.net
TEAMs (The East African Marine Systems)
85% Kenyan, including government, 15% UAE company with 4,500 kilometre cable linking Mombasa on the Kenyan coast to Fujairah in the Gulf, due in service September 2009
No separate website
West coast
GLO-1 (Globacom 1)
Backed by Nigerian second national carrier Globacom, running north to the UK. Originally expected for service March 2009 but now said to be November. Capacity 640 gigabits a second
www.gloworld.com
Main One
Funded by private Nigerian investors. From Portugal to Accra and Lagos in phase one, with optional landing in Casablanca, Dakar, Abidjan and Bonny. Then Libreville, Pointe Noire, Luanda, and Cape Town. Design capacity 1.92 terabits a second. Due for commissioning May 2010
www.mainonecable.com
WACS
(West Africa Cable System)
Backed by South African operators Telkom, Vodacom, MTN and Neotel. Planned for second quarter of 2011 to run 14,000 kilometres from South Africa to UK via 12 African countries. Design capacity at least 3.84 terabits a second
No separate website
ACE
(Africa Coast to Europe)
Backed by France Telecom and 16 other operators, originally to run to Gabon but now likely to be 14,000 kilometres to reach South Africa. Capacity at least 1.92 terabits a second and service date some time in 2011
No separate website
North coast
For completeness, though north Africa is already well connected across the Mediterranean and via Europe to India and Asia-Pacific cables
EIG
(Europe-India Gateway)
Backed by Verizon Business and other operators, running from Europe to Libya and Egypt, via Djibouti on the Red Sea coast, to the Gulf and India. Capacity 3.84 terabits a second. Service expected second quarter of 2010
www.europeindiagateway.com
Acknowledgement for some information: http://manypossibilities.net/african-undersea-cables/