Major telecoms cable projects in sub-Saharan Africa By Dobek Pater, Africa Analysis

Africa obtains its international bandwidth from a mixture of global fi bre optic cables and satellite, with six submarine cables providing international fi bre connectivity to Africa

The six submarine cables providing international A summary of the individual major fi bre connectivity to Africa are SAT-2, SEAMEWE projects is provided below: (South East Asia -- Middle East -- Western Europe) 2 and 3, FLAG (Fibre optic Link Around the EASSy Project Globe), Atlantis II and SAT-3/WASC/SAFE. At The project aims to install the missing only 2Gbps, the capacity on SAT-2 is already leg of the submarine fi bre-optic cable fully used. The ultimate capacity on the system up the east coast of Africa SAT-3/WASC/SAFE cable is 120 Gpbs. by means of a 9 900 km undersea cable that will run from South Africa Traditionally, the African continent has suffered to Port Sudan. There will be eight from a dearth of connectivity with the outside landing stations along the way, world. This constraint has to an extent been including Maputo (Mozambique), alleviated through the implementation of the Toliary (Madagascar), Dar-es-Salaam SAT-3/WASC/SAFE cable, connecting southern (Tanzania), Zanzibar (Tanzania), and western Africa to Europe and Asia through Mombasa (Kenya), Mogadishu high capacity submarine fi bre optic links. Another (Somalia), Djibouti (Djibouti) and cable is planned for the eastern fl ank of Africa Massawa (Eritrea). EASSy will connect (EASSy). Once that is in place, most of the seaward to the global network through SAT-3, East Africa digital transmission project African countries will have a direct connection SAFE, SEA-ME-WE 3 and SEA-ME-WE 4. The (EADTP) into the global fi bre optic cable network. completion of this leg will mean that high Originally, the major objective of this project However, many of the landlocked countries capacity fi bre-optic telecommunications cable was to interconnect Kenya, Tanzania and continue to battle with obtaining high capacity will encircle practically the entire continent Uganda through contributions by the three international connectivity. There is also a of Africa. national carriers. This plan has fallen through, continued problem with interconnection of The project is expected to go live by 2006 however, and it now appears that the individual countries within Africa itself. Often, connection and will have a lifespan of 25 years. The total networks will be built and funded separately, between African countries is still established capacity of the cable will be between 320 Gbps with interconnection implemented once each of through a third country, normally in Europe or and 640 Gbps. The cable connectivity will utilise the respective national sections is complete. the USA. This issue is now being addressed by synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH), direct several different projects, aiming to expand the optical amplifi cation and wavelength division The Kenyan section will form a major part inland network capacity. At present, most of the multiplexing technologies for high capacity and of Telkom Kenya’s strategic plan, and this is projects are located in Southern and East Africa. superior quality. likely to become Kenya’s network backbone. They fall within the ambit of New Partnership for Africa’s Development’s (NEPAD’s) vision of a There are already 15 EASSy MOU continental telecommunications backbone. One signatories and a further fi ve are of the major NEPAD objectives is to ensure that expected to join the project, all African countries are connected to each other which has been approved by means of a broadband fi bre-optic network by both the World Bank and NEPAD. Current estimates of that also links them with the rest of the world. the total cost of this project are Various pan-African projects have been proposed USD200-million, excluding an for the expansion of terrestrial infrastructure estimated USD2-million for across Africa (the exhibit below provides an each of the landing stations. overview). The purpose of these projects is to Financiers of the project will expand infrastructure in various African countries hold 90% of the EASSy shares, thereby providing both national and inter-regional whilst the remaining 10% will telecommunications infrastructure. These projects be held by the participating are valued at a total of some USD700-million and national telecommunications include: EASSy, Comtel, SRII, Com-7, EADTP. operators.

36 Elektron August 2005 optic network. The SRII project is scheduled to be completed in three phases, having started in 1998 and ending in 2006. In the initial phase, the existing analogue facilities were to be upgraded to SDH technology. This phase is 98% complete. During the second phase, the existing digital pseudo- synchronous digital hierarchy links were to be upgraded to the more advanced SDH system. This phase is 80% complete. The third phase will cover expansion of the network past two years, NEPAD’s e-Africa Commission capacity and building of SDH has included the Com-7 project in the “Agreed At present, the project is confi ned to Kenya, rings as back-up should the network fail. This Rationalised Broadband ICT Network for and entails an SDH transmission system from phase is 55% complete. Eastern and Southern Africa”. Comafrica has Mombasa to the border with Uganda. The link been tasked with overseeing implementation Comtel project runs through Nairobi with connections to the of the project. major towns. Comtel is chartered to create a fibre optic The project consists of fi ve separate segments backbone network across the COMESA region The top diagram portrays the entire planned and is scheduled to be rolled out in three phases, with a goal of lowering high telecommunications network between the three East African starting during the second half of 2005 and ready costs among 21 member states by harmonising countries. for commission by the end of 2007. The stated regional tariffs and network connectivity. objectives of this project are as follows: SADC region information infrastructure (SRII) The upgrade of the COMTEL network has project been mooted for a number of years, but the • Implement and maintain a fibre optic organisation has had problems with securing of backbone network. The SRII project aims to upgrade and expand suffi cient funding in the past. the existing telecoms network in the Southern • Facilitate access to the network and services African Development Community (SADC) The project consists of establishing a regional for all local licensed ICT operators and intermediaries. region and reduce the costs of operations by backbone network comprising a 16 000 km shifting some of the satellite traffi c onto the fi bre fi bre optic cable, microwave radio with IP/MPLS • Facilitate access to international networks switching over DWDM, gateways and including SAT-3, SEA-ME-WE-3, and the billing systems. Its ultimate capacity is planned EASSy submarine systems for the relevant countries. 120 Gbps and it is designed to deliver seamless voice and data traffi c to and • Facilitate connections between Com-7 and from COMESA members, as well as local and regional players. internationally. COMTEL will own Participation in West African festoon system and manage the network which will (WAFS) project handle voice, bandwidth, internet and data services. Implementation of the This smaller project would serve as an auxiliary network, scheduled to be completed submarine fi bre optic cable link, mostly for within 24 months, was to start in the countries which do not have SAT-3 landing fi rst quarter of 2005, but problems points. The project would link the incumbent were encountered when Ericsson, telcos in the countries of Namibia, Angola, the one of the major vendor participants, DRC and Gabon through a connection to the decided to disengage itself from this SAT-3 cable running along the west coast of project. The network lifespan is 25 Africa. For many years, satellite has remained the years. Management and billing systems predominant international connectivity solution are due to go live by the end 2006. and will continue to remain the solution for many The shareholding structure of Comtel countries in Africa until the terrestrial infrastructure consists of 25% national telecoms is rolled out. Even once this infrastructure is operators, 30% strategic equity partner rolled out, satellite will remain an important international connectivity technology, even if and 45% private sector investors. only for redundancy purposes in some cases. Com-7 project Also, it should be noted that while international connectivity problems are being addressed by a The Com-7 Project is based on a local number of cable and satellite projects underway and regional fibre optic backbone on the continent, access infrastructure (leaving network providing added-value ICT mobile cellular access aside) remains a signifi cant services. Initially, the 1998 proposal problem in many African markets. was to link seven countries, viz. Botswana, DRC, Malawi, Tanzania, Contact Dobek Pater, Africa Analysis, Zambia and Zimbabwe to the SAT-3 Tel (012) 664-7914, submarine system. However, over the [email protected] ☐

38 Elektron August 2005