The 2Africa undersea cable, said to be the largest in the world, has been landed into the carrier-neutral Durban facility of Open Access Data Centre (OADC), which is owned and operated by West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC).
Chris Wood, group CEO of WIOCC, comments: “This latest major international cable landing is another example of WIOCC Group playing a key role in building Africa’s digital infrastructure and accelerating the continent’s digital transformation through the delivery of converged open digital infrastructure.
“We are pleased to be working with our partners in the 2Africa project, bringing faster, more reliable internet to local businesses and consumers, and making an enduring contribution to communications in Africa. The subsea cable system is enabling more communities to access transformative online resources, from education and healthcare to jobs and financial services, and experience the economic and social benefits of seamless connectivity.”
The 2Africa cable project was launched in May 2020 to significantly increase the capacity, quality and availability of internet connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world. A recent study by RTI International predicts that within two to three years of becoming operational, 2Africa will spur economic impact worth $26,2-billion to $36,9-billion, equivalent to 0,42% to 0,58% of Africa’s GDP.
The arrival of the 45 000km, 180 Terabits per second (Tbps) 2Africa cable system will bring additional international capacity for Internet and other services, support high-speed internet delivery and provide greater diversity, which will benefit businesses and individuals throughout South Africa.
The landing, into OADC’s 4MW-capable open access OADC Durban facility in Amanzimtoti, is 2Africa’s fourth on the coast of South Africa, with two in the Western Cape (Yzerfontein and Duynefontein) and one in the Eastern Cape (Gqeberha).
Service uptime can be maximised by utilising this new OADC Durban-2Africa route for international traffic because, apart from the METISS system, no other international cable lands in Amanzimtoti.
It will also allow organisations to quickly and easily access 2Africa’s international connectivity from their operations in KZN and elsewhere in South Africa, as OADC Durban is open access and carrier-neutral.
OADC Durban went live in April 2022 and will ultimately deliver 4 200m2 of flexible space, supporting 2 000m² of IT white space, as well as A-Grade tech park office space.