Telecom

MTN lands 2Africa subsea cable in South Africa

MTN lands 2Africa subsea cable in South Africa
Wednesday, 14 December 2022 16:08

The strong demand for broadband connectivity observed in Africa since 2020 is expected to continue over the next few years. Telecom operators are strengthening their broadband infrastructure to better meet this demand. 

Last Tuesday, telecom group MTN announced  that its subsidiaries MTN South Africa and MTN GlobalConnect have landed the 2Africa subsea cable in Yzerfontein and Duynefontein, South Africa, in partnership with the 2Africa Consortium. This infrastructure is expected to meet the high demand for broadband connectivity in South Africa and the rest of the continent.

The 2Africa cable is 45,000 km long and provides a nominal capacity of up to 180 TB/s. The Yzerfontein landing station will support the 2Africa West cable and MTN South Africa's landing station in Duynefontein will support the 2Africa East cable. The “2Africa subsea cable system will support the western and eastern sides of Africa, once complete in 2023 and 2024 respectively,” MTN indicates.  

 2Africa lands in South Africa three weeks after it landed in Ras Ghareb, Egypt. The successive landings are part of the gradual rollout for full operation in 2024. Successful landings have already been made in Genoa (Italy), Barcelona (Spain) and Marseille (France). Some 40 sites in Africa, Europe and Asia are expected to host the infrastructure in the coming months.

The Internet capabilities of the 2Africa cable will provide MTN Group with the means to achieve its "Ambition 2025" strategy, under which the company plans to establish itself as the leading digital service provider in Africa over the next few years. To achieve this, the group plans to deploy a total of 135,000 km of proprietary fiber across the continent by 2025. Moreover, MTN GlobalConnect will also be responsible for landing the new cable in Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Ghana.

Strategic partnerships such as the one we have with the 2Africa consortium will help us accelerate and deepen internet adoption and socio-economic progress across the African continent. Data traffic across African markets is expected to grow between four and five fold over the next 5 years, so we need infrastructure and capacity to meet that level of growth and demand,” comments Ralph Mupita, MTN Group CEO. 

Isaac K. Kassouwi

On the same topic
• Algeria grants commercial 5G licenses to top three telecom operators: Mobilis, Djezzy, and Ooredoo • License award comes on stream as part of the...
MTN Nigeria launched a 100 million naira startup accelerator starting September The 12-week program offers funding, mentorship, and tech...
The MTN Nigeria Dabengwa Tier 3 Data Centre is more than just a physical infrastructure project — it’s a foundational investment in Nigeria’s digital...
Chad begins drafting a manual to implement its National Digital Health Program Aims to ease doctor shortages via telemedicine and digital...
Most Read
01

• Global coffee consumption projected to hit a record 169.4 million 60-kg bags in 2025/2026, up from...

Coffee: Global Consumption Expected to Reach Record Level in 2025/2026
02

In a West African financial landscape marked by tighter regulation of the fintech sector, digital fi...

In Five Years, Francophone Africa Will be A Major Force in African Tech –Régis Bamba
03

• BOAD releases CFA10 billion ($17.8 million) to support Boungou and Wahgnion gold mines.• Burkina F...

BOAD Grants CFA10 Billion to Revive Boungou and Wahgnion Gold Mines in Burkina Faso
04

Transport and food prices have been climbing steadily across Africa in recent years. In Côte d’Ivoir...

Côte d’Ivoire’s Fuel Price Cuts Haven’t Slashed Transport Costs–Yet
05

• Burkina Faso-based financial group, Vista Group Holding, has acquired a majority stake in Société ...

Burkina Faso: Vista Group Acquires Controlling Stake in Société Générale
Enter your email to receive our newsletter

Ecofin Agency provides daily coverage of nine key African economic sectors: public management, finance, telecoms, agribusiness, mining, energy, transport, communication, and education.
It also designs and manages specialized media, both online and print, for African institutions and publishers.

SALES & ADVERTISING

Benjamin FLAUX
bf@agenceecofin.com 
Téls: +41 22 301 96 11 
Mob: +41 78 699 13 72
Média kit : Download

EDITORIAL
redaction@agenceecofin.com

More information
Team
Publisher

ECOFIN AGENCY

Mediamania Sarl
Rue du Léman, 6
1201 Geneva
Switzerland

 

Ecofin Agency is a sector-focused economic news agency, founded in December 2010. Its web platform was launched in June 2011. ©Mediamania.

 
 

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.