The partnership creates a system that offers connection between all Main One and SEACOM PoPs and increases connectivity around Africa between South Africa and Nigeria, as a system between the two countries is still under development.
“While efforts to implement a physical cable between Nigeria and South Africa continue, we have joined our cables together in Europe to satisfy many of our customer’s immediate requirements for capacity between Nigeria and South Africa,” said Funke Opeke, CEO at Main One.
The increased access partnership is immediately available, and gives the continent’s existing cable operators an advantage over its competitors, with other cables constantly being developed as consortiums continue to look to tap in to this lucrative market.
“We hold the view that ring type system around the entire continent is the best way to attain adequate redundancy whilst offering customers a comprehensive connectivity solution,” said Brian Herlihy, CEO at SEACOM. “This announcement shows our determination to find a viable way to extend our system with partners who share our vision to build the African internet.”
Main One claims to be the first submarine cable to offer open access broadband capacity in west Africa, and launched operations in July 2010 to link the region with the rest of the world. SEACOM’s network spans 17000km and onwards to India and Europe, with several landing points including Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa.
