Telecom Egypt, Egypt’s leading telecom operator and one of the largest subsea cables operators in the region, along with Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) has announced the successful landing of the Africa-1 subsea cable system at the Ras Ghareb cable landing station on the Red Sea. This is the first of two planned landings in Egypt, with the second on its Mediterranean coast. Built and deployed by ASN, the system links East Africa with the Middle East, South-Central Asia, and Europe.
Traversing Egypt through diverse terrestrial routes, this low-latency, high-capacity, express system extends from Pakistan to France, with initial landings in the United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Djibouti, Yemen, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Algeria. The Ras Ghareb landing is the third, following earlier landings in Karachi, Pakistan, and Mombasa, Kenya.
Spanning over 10,000 kilometers with eight fiber pairs, the consortium-funded system aims to enhance global connectivity by providing diversity and resilience, significantly bolstering broadband traffic capacity. The Africa-1 consortium comprises eight major players: Algerie Telecom, e&, G42, Mobily, Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd., Telecom Egypt, TeleYemen
Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt, commented:
“Partnering with the Africa-1 consortium to build this transformative subsea system marks a significant milestone for all parties involved, as well as for the global economy and connectivity. By making additional subsea routes available in the growing markets of the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, this system will boost broadband capabilities and expand our subsea network to meet the rising demand for reliable, high-speed communications, especially for bandwidth-intensive applications like AI. Africa-1 further enhances Egypt’s position as a regional connectivity hub and helps bridge the digital divide in underserved regions. Our rich subsea infrastructure, available to our partners worldwide, underscores our commitment to superior connectivity solutions that enable both our partners and end-users alike, driving economic growth across continents, fostering innovation, and providing powerful connectivity solutions. We look forward to Africa-1's operational launch and the ongoing
Paul Gabla, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of ASN at Alcatel, commented:
“We are excited to be part of the Africa-1 subsea cable system, a pivotal project that will be a real game-changer by transforming connectivity across East Africa, the Middle East, South-Central Asia, and Europe. ASN is committed to bringing the most advanced technologies and extensive expertise to ensure the seamless deployment and operation of this high-capacity, low-latency infrastructure. This initiative not only enhances broadband traffic capacity but also provides the diversity and resiliency needed to support the ever-growing demands of global data transmission.”
