SEACOM has signed a contract with Interoute to connect its 17,000km intercontinental submarine fibre optic network to Interoute's pan-European network. This will give East Africa access to business centres in Europe and throughout the rest of the world, plus Interoute's wholesale and enterprise services.
The two say the agreement will allow Interoute and SEACOM to open up new opportunities for telecom companies and enterprises in the region, as well as supporting the growing demand for broadband. East Africa has seen a phenomenal increase in demand for internet connectivity, with users rising by 1,062% between 2000 and 2008.
SEACOM's new fibre cable will run along the east coast of Africa, with links to South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya with Europe and South Asia.
The cable will extend to Marseilles, where it will connect to Interoute's network. The new subsea cable is scheduled for service in June 2009, and will offer 1.28Tbps, the equivalent of streaming approximately 1,600,000 simultaneous YouTube videos and will enable HD-TV, peer to peer networks and IPTV, as well as internet access.