Search
  1. Home
  2. Africa

Getting connected at last

[Africa] Internet access will improve with the optical fibre undersea cable system. World Bank
Internet access will improve with the optical fibre undersea cable system
    JOHANNESBURG

    An undersea cable system will help more than 15 countries along Africa's eastern coast access efficient, cheaper telecommunications and internet services by the end of 2007.

    The Eastern African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) is the result of collaboration among all the state-owned and some private telecommunications companies in the region.

    More than 8,000 km of cable will link up with the various national landline networks at several 'landing' points, such as Durban in South Africa, Port Sudan (Sudan), Maputo (Mozambique), Toliary (Madagascar), Dar-Es-Salaam and Zanzibar (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya) and Djibouti. The 'landing' points would also help land-locked countries such as Uganda and Botswana to access the cable system.

    The US $200 million system would help many African countries, who currently have to route calls to other parts of Africa via satellite through Europe, said Simon Olawo, head of the EASSy secretariat in Kenya.

    "The cable, which will be laid on the seabed, is made of optical fibre, which transmits information in the form of pulses of light. In terms of speed, cost, efficiency, volume, the capacity of optical fibre is unmatched by any other technology, including satellite communication," he explained.

    At least 27 companies, including state-owned telecommunications companies in Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Madagascar, Sudan, Zanzibar, South Africa and Burundi, as well as British Telecom and France Telecom have made commitments to invest, said Olawo.

    Similar cable networks link South Africa and West African countries with Europe and southeast Asia.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join