Toti waters host international cable-laying ship
MTN said the latest extension of the total length of the 2Africa cable system from Africa to Asia will bring the length of the cable to over 45 000km, making it the longest subsea cable system ever deployed.
A CABLE-laying ship that has been a constant sight off the Amanzimtoti coastline over the past few weeks is generating a lot of interest from locals as it has sometimes come very close to the shore. Many people have also wondered what it is doing on the South Coast waters, with speculations ranging from it being a Chinese fishing ship to a Russian vessel.
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The Ile De Brehat, which sails under the French flag, is laying a 2Africa undersea cable that will boost internet bandwidth between the countries it connects. According to ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants documents, the cable is being laid by a multinational company called 2Africa to connect Europe, Africa, Mauritius, Reunion island, Asia and the Middle East. The 2Africa consortium comprises, among others, Facebook, MTN, Vodafone, China Mobile International and Telecom Egypt.
Amanzimtoti has been chosen as one of the South African landings for the cable. At its beach landing point at Pipeline, the cable will make its way for 5km underground to a station built near Arbour Road.
Africa currently relies primarily on satellites to provide its international communications. Communication via submarine telecommunications cables generally allows for lower cost, better performance and greater capacity than that available via satellite.
In a statement, MTN said the latest extension of the total length of the 2Africa cable system from Africa to Asia will bring the length of the cable to over 45 000km, making it the longest subsea cable system ever deployed.
On Monday, January 30, the Ile De Brehat was sighted off Umkomaas. The ship was built in South Korea in 2002, and it is 140m in length with a gross weight of just under 14 000 tons. The 4 320 KW of electricity it generates could provide enough power for a small town for over a week.
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