Telkom Kenya and PEACE Cable Company have announced a $400 million investment in the development of a subsea internet cable that will provide high-speed internet access with low latency. Dubbed the "Peace Cable," the fiber optic network will connect Africa, Europe, and Asia, with a Europe-Asia route connecting France to Pakistan and an Indian Ocean route connecting Mombasa, Kenya. Djibouti Africa Regional Express 1 (DARE 1), SEACOM, The East African Marine System (TEAMS), the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy), and the Lower Indian Ocean Network II all come before the cable (LION II).
The subsea internet cable will transmit at 200 Gbps per single wavelength with a total bandwidth of 192kbps once the connection is complete.
This strategic connection boost provides stability and safe data access in Kenya, amidst the continued rise in consumer demand for connectivity, with an internet penetration rate of 85 percent. Further, data will unlock new markets for colocation data centers, content development networks, and Over-the-Top (OTT) service providers in the country.
“The investment in submarine cables is of strategic importance to Telkom, where we view access to the Internet as a fundamental human right. Interest in this kind of delivery infrastructure is growing due to the sharp increase in the demand of Internet services including cloud computing, streaming, gaming, connected devices, and also taking into account the customer’s demand for seamless service provision with no interruption. We are therefore proud to contribute to Kenya’s strategic evolution to become a digital economy, in line with the country’s Big 4 Agenda that relies on ICTs to enhance processes, improve efficiencies, and boost consistency in service delivery to Kenyans.” remarked Telkom’s CEO, Mr. Mugo Kibati.
Foreign investment
PEACE Cable International Network CO. LTD is a Hong Kong-based company that was established in 2018. PEACE aspires to be the world's foremost undersea cable system operator.
The PEACE submarine cable system, which connects Asia, Afrika, and Europe, offers its customers open, flexible, and carrier-neutral services. The high-speed PEACE cable system will provide the shortest routes between China and Europe and Afrika, connecting three of the world's most populous continents while dramatically reducing latency, resulting in a superior connectivity experience that will be ideal for a wide range of commercial and consumer applications.
When asked for comment, SUN Xiaohua, The PEACE Cable’s Chief Operating Officer, said:
“We are very proud to work with such an excellent partner as Telkom to jointly complete this successful landing in Kenya. PEACE will bring more diversified digital connection options and provide high-speed, large-capacity and stable data access opportunities to Kenya in the future. We will spare no efforts with PEACE to bring more business development to this region.”
— By Bataung Qhotsokoane
