The first landing of the 2Africa submarine cable is anticipated in Egypt at Ras Ghareb in the Red Sea. Another cable landing is expected in Port Said in the Mediterranean Sea at a later moment. The cable will be stretched to a total of 46 places throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia by the time the project is finished in 2024, with the Ras Ghareb landing being just one of several that will happen in the upcoming months.
Building on prior investments, the 2Africa submarine cable project would allow more Internet users to have a better experience while advocating for a more accessible and cheap Internet for everyone.
The 2Africa subsea cable system, which was initially announced in May 2020. Its Pearls extension are intended to connect three continents – Africa, Europe, and Asia. It would provide three billion people – or 36 percent of the world’s population – with seamless international connectivity.
The 2Africa consortium is comprised of Telecom Egypt, Meta, Vodafone, China Mobile International, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, STC, and WIOCC.
At 45,000 kilometers, 2Africa would be the longest submarine cable ever deployed, supporting cities that depend on the Internet for services like education, healthcare, and commerce. All of these places would reap the advantages of this improved connectivity in terms of the economy and society. Submarine cables connect people and countries, laying the groundwork for the global internet. They are projected to be crucial to the Middle East and Africa’s further development.
The deployment of submarine cables would frequently result in economic growth for the regional community, which helps both people and companies. For instance, RTI predicts that within two to three years of being into operation, 2Africa would have a $26.2 to $36.4 billion impact (at purchasing power parities) on Africa’s GDP (gross domestic product).
“We are very content with Telecom Egypt’s continuous achievements in extending its international infrastructure. We recently celebrated the landing of our Red2Med cable system in Ras Ghareb, and today we are excited to announce the first landing of 2Africa in the same location,” said Adel Hamed, Managing Director and CEO at Telecom Egypt.
“The second landing in Egypt will be in Port Said in a few months. Our contribution to 2Africa – as a provider of hybrid crossing solutions (using the subsea route in the Red Sea via Red2Med in addition to two brand new crossing terrestrial routes) and as a consortium member – is another testimony of our commitment to provide unmatched solutions and reach to our customers locally and internationally. We are continuously investing in new infrastructure and developing dynamically to increase our network resilience and broad reach to maintain our leading edge in the region by offering our partners the best services and solutions.”
Two overland trans-Egypt routes along the Suez Canal will link the Ras Ghareb landing to the proposed Port Said landing. The crossover system would provide seamless optical routes between Africa, Asia, and Europe when it is implemented using next-generation fiber. The undersea festoon in the Red Sea on Telecom Egypt’s ground-breaking Red2Med cable system, which connects Ras Ghareb, Zaafarana, and Suez, completes it.
