Does anyone know of a simple one-stop shop to find out more about the progress of submarine cable development around Africa – particularly East Africa? The following main initiatives are underway:
- EASSy (The Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System) – MoU signed in December 2003
- SAFE (South Africa Far East) – Commissioned in 2002 and built by Tyco Submarine Systems of the USA
- SAT-2 – in service since 1993 linking South Africa with Tenerife
- SAT-3/WASC (South Atlantic/West Africa Submarine Cable) - linking Portugal and Spain to South Africa
- SEACOM (South East Asian Telecommunication Cable) – commercial launch due June 2009 (Update from The Daily Nation, Kenya)
- TEAMS (The East African Marine System) – in 2006 the Kenyan government partnered with Etisalat to build its own fibre optic cable; in October 2007 Alcatel-Lucent was awarded the contract to lay the cable linking Mombasa with Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates
- West Africa Cable System – formed from Infraco AWCC, SAT-4 and Uhurunet
- MainOne Submarine Cable project from Portugal to Ghana and Nigeria (thanks for the link Jon) – first phase expected to be completed by June 2010 led by the Nigerian Main One Cable Company
Useful links include:
- Fibre for Africa
- Many Possibilities – map of the undersea cable environment around Africa from Steve Song’s blog (thanks for the link Abi)
- Wikipedia’s list of submarine telecommunications cables
Please do add comments below relating to other sources of useful information about this topic.
17 Comments
February 5, 2009 at 9:40 am
Thanks Tim,
There was a story last night on Kenyan news that the SEACOM cable remains firmly on track. They are still touting the 2009 June dates. Their website hasn’t been updated with the latest project update though.
February 5, 2009 at 10:00 am
Victor
Thanks – that’s good to know – do you have the link to the story so that I can post it?
Tim
February 5, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Hi Tim,
http://www.nation.co.ke/business/news/-/1006/524680/-/j2ek7lz/-/index.html
Cheers
Victor
February 26, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Tim
You may also want to look at Steve Song’s blog “Many Possibilities” http://manypossibilities.net/
He’s done an interesting set of maps tracking proposed cabel projects around the African seaboard.
See http://manypossibilities.net/2009/02/undersea-cables-update-2/
March 3, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Tim, since I’ve made good use of your list, here’s another I stumbled across – not sure if distinct or part of those above
MainOne Submarine cable project (Nigeria/Ghana to Portugal)
http://allafrica.com/stories/200902170292.html
March 3, 2009 at 5:47 pm
Jon – thanks so much – great to have this link – Tim
March 16, 2009 at 10:17 am
Seems like UbuntuNet’s newspage may be the one-stop you were looking for – seems to update regularly. http://www.ubuntunet.net/taxonomy/term/4
March 16, 2009 at 1:16 pm
**Private email; pls do not publish**
[I wasn't sure how to send a private email so using this medium instead; sorry!]
Dear Tim
I recently produced a paper providing an update on the various submarine cable projects in sub-Saharan Africa. It was for a conference titled: “Development of an equitable information society in Africa: the role of parliaments” which was held in Kigali earlier this month.
It can be downloaded from: http://info-society.apkn.org/programme-presentations/kigali-day-2-session-8-abiodun-jagun-paper.pdf
The paper probably needs updating already! For example, it has now been reported that the SEACOM cable is now at Mombassa. The key point here is that this cable is on track and very likely to meet its “Ready For Service” (RFS) date.
Getting information on progress is hard and it is good that more people are looking to publish this information (and hopefuly encourage the operators/project members to share information).
Regards
Abi
April 15, 2009 at 8:13 am
Had a chat last week with the PS information and Communications Kenya on sub-marine fibre. He showed me a France Telecom map on Africa and Indian Ocean routes. It includes the LION cable that will connect Madagascar to the SAT3/WASC/SAFE cable and rund through to Kenya. He said he expects it to land in Lamu in Kenya in August 09. Anyone with any concrete info on this?
April 15, 2009 at 9:40 pm
I had not heard of this – but will see if I can find out more.
April 15, 2009 at 11:54 pm
Saw a press release on the cable in March 2008; but that said the (proposed) cable would link Madagascar to the SAFE cable via Reunion and Mauritius. No mention of Kenya; see http://www.francetelecom.com/en_EN/group/latest_news/lion_project.html
Have found no other information on the cable in the public domain since its announcement.
France Telecom also proposed a cable project on the West Coast of Africa called ACE (Africa Coast to Europe). An MoU was signed in Nov 2008 but again no/little information on the status of this in the public domain since the announcement (see: http://www.francetelecom.com/en_EN/finance/news/cp081211en2.html)
April 25, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Hi Abi
Great to meet you just now at Africa Gathering….
Hope the return to Nigeria is a success!
Tim
May 13, 2009 at 2:42 pm
You can find the latest updates on EASSy on the WIOCC website at http://www.wiocc.net
The marine survey is almost finished, cable manufacture is ongoing and the terrestrial backhaul networks are well underway. EASSy is reporting a Q2 2010 launch.
WIOCC is the largest shareholder in the EASSy system
June 9, 2009 at 7:37 pm
A further update on EASSy progress – the marine survey is finished, cable manufacture is well underway, landing station construction in progress with permits secured. Cable laying planed for early Q3 this year:
http://thecitizen.co.tz/newe.php?id=12932
June 12, 2009 at 11:31 am
Part of the TEAMS cable is complete and is inaugurated in Kenya today
Tax cuts to boost Kenya broadband
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8096730.stm
Kibaki directs youth training on ICT
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/609932/-/ujtgmx/-/index.html
June 22, 2009 at 9:10 am
ACE extended to South Africa, taking in all countries along West African coast:
http://www.francetelecom.com/en_EN/press/press_releases/cp090609en.jsp
June 22, 2009 at 9:08 pm
Jon
Thanks for this – helpful update
Tim