The new cable systems will avoid the Indian Ocean and Singapore, and interconnect the Gulf to Africa (G2A) and Silk Road Gateway – 1 (SRG-1) cable systems through an undersea connection.
SRG-1 connects Oman to Pakistan, with onwards connectivity to Afghanistan, China, Iran, Tukmenistan and Tajikistan. G2A runs from Oman to Somalia, with onwards routes to Ethiopa. This is set to be extended to Kenya, Mogadishu and South Africa in future developments.
Omantel Wholesale claims the interconnection will create a new ultra-low latency route options for its customers, supporting economic growth in Central Asia and Africa.
“We are the only provider in the world that is able to offer rapid access between Asia and Africa via geographically diverse routes. The development and interconnection of G2A and SRG-1 demonstrates our commitment to delivering ultra-low latency networking in unique and challenging markets. We are supporting the growth of trade between China and Africa with new diversity and high performance networks,” said Talal Said AL Mamari, CEO of Omantel.
Both cables add to Omantel Wholesale’s undersea investments, now numbering more than 20 overall. Oman is one of the most connected places on the planet, with five redundant landing stations and four terrestrial networks connecting it, Omantel added.
“Users in high-growth markets in Central Asia and Africa gain access to global connectivity. End users will experience more robust and reliable communications services, accelerating local development and support the growth of their digital economies,” said Sohail Qadir, VP of Omantel Wholesale.
“We’re excited to be a part of delivering greater connectivity to these regions and changing how they experience mobile, broadband and other communications services. This is a big step forward.”
