Vodacom’s 45 000km 2Africa sub-sea cable has arrived in Gqeberha

Vodacom has announced that its 2Africa sub-sea cable has arrived at the company’s network facility in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

The arrival of the cable marks the third landing on the coast of South Africa of the world’s largest submarine cable system.

It is reported that the first submarine cable landing in the Eastern Cape region, for which Vodacom is the designated landing partner, follows the two recent landings in Yzerfontein and Duynefontein, in the Western Cape, by MTN Global Connect in December 2022.

The project was launched in May last year by the 2Africa Consortium, which includes eight international partners, the subsea cable project aims to significantly increase the capacity, quality, and availability of Internet connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world when it goes live in 2024.

Engineering News has it that the 45 000 km 2Africa, interconnecting Europe eastward through Egypt, the Middle East through Saudi Arabia, and Africa, will connect 19 countries in Africa and 33 countries in total.

“Through the 2Africa landing at Gqeberha, service providers will be able to obtain capacity on a fair and equitable basis, encouraging and supporting the development of a healthy Internet ecosystem,” says Vodacom Group international markets chief officer Diego Gutierrez.

“Direct international connectivity can then be provided to data centres, and enterprise and wholesale customers.

“Once the fibre cable system has been deployed, businesses and consumers will benefit from improved quality, reliability, and lower latency for Internet services, including telecommuting, high-definition video streaming, and advanced multimedia and mobile video applications.”

The system will have four landings in South Africa and two each in Mozambique, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, and Egypt, bringing the total landings in Africa to 27, of the 46 landings in total.

The 2Africa East cable system of which the Gqeberha branch is part, will go live and be ready for service by the fourth quarter of 2023.

In the Eastern Cape landing, the telecoms company provides the facilities for the cable’s installation at an existing site in the Summerstrand area.

“Vodacom Group is pleased to be working with our partners in the 2Africa project to bring faster, more reliable Internet to local businesses and consumers while helping to build an inclusive digital society on the continent and around the world,” Gutierrez continues.

“The subsea cable system enables more communities to access transformative online resources, from education and healthcare to jobs and financial services, and experience seamless connectivity’s economic and social benefits.”

It is expected to accelerate connectivity, enable greater Internet capacity, and help to develop telecommunications networks across the Eastern Cape and surrounding provinces.

BusinessTech Africa has learned that the cable system’s landing in the Eastern Cape will also offer the potential for much-needed regional job creation in sectors that rely on direct international connectivity.