Liquid Telecom South Africa, together with a consortium of telecommunication companies, has inaugurated the landing station of the Melting Pot Indianoceanic Submarine System (METISS) at Umbogotwini in KwaZulu-Natal.

The project is expected to be completed and operational by July 2020.

Dr Angus Hay, GM of Africa Data Centres Southern Africa, comments: “Everything we do is driven by a simple yet powerful belief that everyone in Africa has the right to be connected. The METISS subsea fibre optic cable underscores the company’s commitment to provide high-speed connectivity to every African on the continent.”

Following an agreement in 2018 with a consortium of telcos including Canal+ Télécom, CEB Fibernet, Emtel, SRR, Telma, Liquid Telecom South Africa has provided the landing station in KwaZulu-Natal. It will host and manage the submarine cable while also providing fibre backhaul to Teraco.

“The partnership with Liquid Telecom is an important step for connecting people and economies of the Indian Ocean islands to South Africa which is among the major internet hubs in Africa,” says Xavier Hermess, chairman of METISS. “METISS Members would like to thank Liquid Telecom and South African Authorities for this successful collaboration.”