The upgrade project was announced back in 2013 and used Ciena’s 6500 Packet-Optical Platform and OneControl Unified Management System to carry out the works.
At the time, Claes Segelberg, chief technology officer at Seacom, said: “Connectivity services in Africa are booming due to the growing needs of business IT users, the rise of “cloud” based services, and growing requirements for the processing and storing of personal data”
The current upgrade adds an additional 500G of capacity to the subsea system, after a previous upgrade of 500G was carried out a year and a half ago.
The plan forms part of Seacom’s wider strategy to develop the African internet and open broadband tap for African service providers, as well as business people and entities. In particular the upgrade will provide increased capacity in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa.
The works also used 100Gbps coherent DWDM technology which allows Seacom to add more capacity as and when is needed.
The news follows an announcement made by Seacom back in March. The company has deployed 100Gbps Ethernet technology in its IP/MPLS data centre core points of presence (PoPs) in Teraco Johannesburg and Teraco Cape Town, as part of its ongoing investment in capacity for future expansion.
In September 2017, SEACOM appointed Tonny Tugee as head of its newly formed Seacom Business in Kenya and its service provider division for east Africa. Tugee now leads a team of ICT staff with the goal of increasing uptake of Seacom’s connectivity and cloud services in the region. Also, as regional head of sales for Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda, Tugee has strategic and operational sales oversight over Seacom’s business across East Africa.
