SEACOM says it will double the data capacity on its broadband submarine cable system from 1.5 terabytes to 3 terabytes.
This they say will enable a greater number of businesses in Africa to utilise emerging technologies such as cloud computing better.
According to SEACOM CEO Byron Clatterbuck, the move is informed by the increasing demand for cloud-based data processing by companies with multinational operations across the continent.
“It’s not just about connecting from Africa to Europe and Asia anymore,” Clatterbuck said. “A lot of content and computing power is moving onto the continent, so connectivity requirements are becoming more regional, and specifically interregional. With such a complex environment, greater capacity is essential.”
SEACOM is already providing direct broadband access to corporate customers through its SEACOM Business arm.
As a partner to African business, the telecoms company has already enabled cloud-based operations for a variety of companies through high-speed, secure and reliable connectivity to platforms such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services. SEACOM’s future plans include expansion further inland, widening fibre access across the continent while targeting large and medium corporations with its premium offerings.
“You will see more terrestrial cables being laid, and the quality of those builds will get better,” Clatterbuck explained.
He added “This isn’t to say there aren’t challenges. There is a long way to go in terms of basic infrastructure provision, relating to roads, rails and highways, all of which make it easier and more affordable to deploy fibre-optic networks.”
This July, SEACOM celebrated ten years since launching the first broadband submarine cable system laid along Africa’s eastern and southern coastlines.
Within East Africa, SEACOM has leveraged its Mombasa landing station to increase its network presence, and services, across Kenya and into other regional countries.
Today, SEACOM has an expanded number of active Points of Presence (POPs), including in Uganda and Rwanda. These enable local businesses to embrace the competitive advantages of cloud and seamlessly advance their digital transformations.
Source: https://subtelforum.com/seacom-to-double-capacity-for-cloud-compute-demand/