Friday July 24, 2009
Submarine cable links East Africa to Europe
MOMBASA (Kenya): East Africa has taken a big step toward joining the wired world with the launch of the first undersea fibreoptic cable linking Europe to one of the world’s poorest regions.
Telecoms companies Seacom and Cisco Systems said in a statement that the start of broadband services will make fast Internet cheaper and more accessible in places like Kenya.
Seacom’s Brian Herhily says the launch marks the “dawn of a new era for communications between the continent and the rest of the world.”
The 17,000km cable allows information to be sent at speeds of 1.28 terabytes per second, fast enough to stream high-definition video. It connects Djibouti, Madagascar, Mozambique, Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania to India and Europe.
Southern and Western Africa already have broadband services.
As the West has grown used to taking streaming video and Internet phone calls for granted, Africa has remained far behind.
The Indian Ocean’s east African seabed is the only one in the world without a submarine fibreoptic cable, forcing the region to rely heavily on limited and expensive satellite links.
The International Telecommunication Union sees businesses such as the Internet cafes as leading the growth in Internet use and services in Africa. — AP
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