WIOCC, Africa's digital backbone, landed 2Africa, the world's largest subsea cable system, which offers the province and country growth in international capacity and promises more reliable internet connectivity and other services in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa.
Chris Wood, group chief executive officer at WIOCC, said, "This latest major international cable landing is another example of WIOCC Group playing a key role in building Africa's digital infrastructure and accelerating the continent's digital transformation through the delivery of converged open digital infrastructure."
"We are pleased to be working with our partners in the 2Africa project, bringing faster, more reliable internet to local businesses and consumers, and making an enduring contribution to communications in Africa. The subsea cable system is enabling more communities to access transformative online resources, from education and healthcare to jobs and financial services, and experience the economic and social benefits of seamless connectivity."
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Economic enhancements
According to a recent study by RTI International, it is anticipated that within two to three years of becoming operational, 2Africa will have a positive economic impact of USD 26.2 billion to USD 36.1 billion or 0.42-0.58 per cent of Africa's GDP.
The 45,000 km, 180 Tbps 2Africa cable system installed in Amanzimtoti, 25 km south of Durban, will bring much-needed extra international capacity for internet and other services. It will also support high-speed internet delivery and provide greater diversity, which will be beneficial to businesses and individuals across South Africa.
Advantages of Amanzimtoti landing
This landing, into OADC's 4MW-capable open access OADC Durban facility in Amanzimtoti, is 2Africa's fourth on the coast of South Africa - two in the Western Cape (Yzerfontein and Duynefontein) and one in the Eastern Cape (Gqeberha).
- Service uptime can be increased by using the new OADC Durban-2Africa route for international traffic because, apart from the METISS system, no other international cable lands in Amanzimtoti.
- Organizations can easily access 2Africa's international connectivity to expand their operations in KZN and elsewhere in South Africa to open access and the carrier-neutral nature of OADC Durban.
- As a result of the cable system's landing in Amanzimtoti, there could be more opportunities for regional job growth in industries like software development, call centers, and data centers that rely on direct international connectivity. These industries can support both local and national socio-economic development.
"As a fiber pair investor in the 2Africa systems, we are greatly expanding and diversifying WIOCC's capacity inventory to ensure that we continue to serve the evolving needs of our content provider and cloud operator clients, as well as those of the wider wholesale community", added Wood.
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The 2Africa project aims to enhance growth in 4G technology and facilitate the expansion of 5G and fixed broadband access by bridging the connectivity gap in underrepresented and rural areas.
