Main One and SEACOM submarine cable systems connect Africa

Accra, May 4, GNA - Two of Africa's submarine cable systems, Main One and SEACOM have interconnected their systems in West and East Africa to enable them to provide better services.

The two companies, have accordingly launched capacity services from PoP to PoP (points of presence), from a STM-1 level and above.

This partnership extends the Main One and SEACOM networks to create a system that offers connection between any SEACOM and Main One PoPs all around Africa between South Africa and Nigeria.

Main One CEO, Funke Opeke, explained: "While efforts to implement a physical cable between Nigeria and South Africa continue, we have joined ou= r cables together in Europe to satisfy many of our customers' immediate requirements for capacity between Nigeria and South Africa." As with the Main One and SEACOM cables, the joint solution is provided on an open-access basis and is immediately available, providing customers with a timing advantage ahead of the completion of other planned systems around the African continent.

"We hold the view that a ring-type system around the entire continen= t is the best way to attain adequate redundancy whilst offering customers a comprehensive connectivity solution. The announcement=85 shows our determination to find a viable way to extend our system with partners who share our vision to build the African Interne," SEACON chief executive officer, Brian Herlihy said.

Main One is the first submarine cable company offering open access, wholesale broadband capacity in West Africa.

This objective has been realised in a submarine cable system which commenced operations in July 2010 linking West Africa to the rest of the world via Portugal and the United Kingdom.

SEACOM is a privately financed, developed and owned submarine fibre optic cable network bringing high quality, affordable broadband capacity to Africa through the sale of wholesale international bandwidth and associated services on an open-access basis since July 2009.

Stretching some 17,000km along the eastern and southern African coastlines and onwards to India and Europe, the SEACOM system has already connected many African countries including South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Djibouti and Ethiopia bringing in many instances previously unavailable access to unrestricted bandwidth.