Telecom Egypt announces the completion of the 2Africa sea cable project
Telecom Egypt, the leading provider of ICT services in Egypt and one of the largest submarine cable operators in the region, as a member of the International Marine Cable Alliance 2Africa and with the participation of Biopap Africa, Center Three Saudi Arabia, China International Mobile Services Company, Meta, French Orange, Vodafone Group, and Wyoc, announced the completion of the main infrastructure of the 2Africa submarine cable, which sets a new standard for marine interconnection globally.
The 2Africa cable project is the fruit of years of collaboration, innovation and a shared vision among Alliance partners to connect communities, support economic growth and enable digital transformation experiences across the continent of Africa and the world.
2Africa is the first submarine cable that connects East and West Africa directly within a connected and integrated system, connecting the African continent to the Middle East, South Asia and Europe. The cable will contribute to providing communications to more than 3 billion people, more than 30% of the world's population, a wide and unprecedented scale that would not have been achieved without the collective effort of the world's largest companies in the telecommunications sector through landings in more than 33 countries so far.
The cable achieves a paradigm shift in the availability of international capacities for the African continent, as the cable supports 21 terabit capacities per pair of optical fiber, out of a total of 8 pairs extending on the west side of the cable extending from England to South Africa to reaching the total capacity to 168 terabits on this aspect. In the Mediterranean region, shorter distances allow larger capacities, more than 30 terabits per fiber pair, and with the presence of 16 pairs, the system can offer a capacity of more than 180 terabits in the Mediterranean Sea.
The 2Africa sea cable is connected to Egypt in both the city of Ras Ghareb on the Red Sea and the city of Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea. The two stations were connected through two ground tracks that extend along the Suez Canal. This crossing provides a connection between the three continents, Africa, Asia and Europe, through smooth paths using the latest fiber optic technology. These tracks are supported by a third track through the Faeston Marine Link, which connects the landing stations in Ras Ghareb, Zafarana and Suez to enhance the diversity of crossing in this important main route.
This cable-capacity shift is expected to add up to US$36.9 billion to Africa's GDP during the first two to three years of operation, promoting new job creation and supporting entrepreneurship and innovation centers across the African continent. The success of the Cable 2Africa project comes as a product of a strong partnership that brings together alliance members under one clear goal, which is to create an open and inclusive network that promotes competition and supports innovation. After adding the new Pearl cable extension, the cable will extend its total length to 45,000 kilometers, exceeding the circumference of the globe.
The establishment of the entire 2Africa surine cable took almost six years across 50 different regions, requiring continuous adaptation to changing regulatory frameworks. The success of this project was also based on strong strategic partnerships and close collaboration with regulators and policymakers around the world.
The 2Africa cable has more than twice the capacity of the accepted cables through the use of advanced SDM technology that enables it to manage bandwidth with extreme flexibility that meet the growing requirements of artificial intelligence, cloud computing and high bandwidth applications. The depth of the cable was increased by 50% and carefully routed to avoid marine hazards. The project required more than 35 specialized naval vessels and intensive local operations, with the deployment of advanced equipment to ensure safe and reliable installation across the different areas through which the cable passes.
The completion of the 2Africa cable reflects the shared commitment of the alliance companies to drive digital connectivity and achieve sustainable economic and digital growth. This investment in open and scalable infrastructure will enhance the resilience of international networks and expand the benefit of digital transformation to billions of people around the world.
This project strengthens Telecom Egypt's position as a major regional telecommunications hub, and the main connectivity hub in the region, as well as its strategic role as a major gateway linking Africa to the rest of the world. The company's participation in the project alliance is also in line with Telecom Egypt's long-term strategy to develop international infrastructure, maximize the return on its assets, and enhance Egypt's leadership in global data traffic.
Engineer Tamer Al-Mahdi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt, commented: “The completion of the main infrastructure of the Cable 2Africa project represents a new achievement in Telecom Egypt's ongoing journey towards expanding its international infrastructure and enhancing its role as a central hub for global data traffic. Based on our commitment to providing unparalleled cutting-edge solutions to all our partners and customers, we are pleased to be part of this transformative project that launches a new era of digital connectivity in Africa and the world. He was envied