Ethiopia’s National Infrastructure Initiative Leaps Ahead with New International Bandwidth Connectivity.

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Johannesburg, 18 March 2010: SEACOM, the privately funded and over three quarter African owned submarine fibre optic cable system, has been awarded an agreement to supply Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation (ETC) with international broadband fibre connectivity via a backhaul link through Djibouti.

Plentiful and readily available bandwidth will result in lower telecommunications costs and new opportunities across many sectors of the Ethiopian economy including ICT industries but also educational, clinical and scientific applications which rely on the real-time sharing of data around the world at lightning fast speed. SEACOM’s enormous capacity also enables new technologies such as high definition TV, peer to peer networks, IPTV, and surging Internet demand at prices significantly lower than currently possible.

Ethiopia’s government is actively rolling out a US$ 1.5 billion national initiative to improve the country’s telecommunications infrastructure. Amongst other projects relating to landline and mobile telecommunications services, the national fibre optic network is set to expand significantly to allow the implementation of its ambitious ICT vision. 

SEACOM is a 17,000 km submarine fibre optic cable enabling eastern and southern African countries to connect to the rest of the world via India and Europe and the first such cable to connect the east African coast. This deal marks a growing number of African landlocked countries to be connected to the SEACOM network since its launch in July 2009 with tangible benefits resulting from SEACOM’s arrival already showing across the region. Kenya has seen bandwidth supply grow by 700% whilst Mozambique and Tanzania experienced increases of 850% and 1000% respectively. 

As previously stated, SEACOM is committed to continue connecting inland countries to its international network and this agreement marks a further step that now sees landlocked Ethiopia, Uganda and Rwanda gaining access to cheaper and faster international connectivity through SEACOM.

Note to editors:

About SEACOM

SEACOM, which is privately funded and over three quarters African owned, assists communication carriers in southern and east Africa through the sale of wholesale international capacity to global networks via India and Europe. With a capacity of 1.28 Tbps, the 17,000 km undersea fibre optic cable system provides African retail carriers with equal and open access to inexpensive bandwidth, removing the international infrastructure bottleneck and supporting east and southern African economic growth. African countries connected to the SEACOM system to date include South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Djibouti and Ethiopia.

SEACOM is 76.56% African owned by:

• Industrial Promotion Services (26.56%), an arm of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development
• Venfin Limited (25%)
• Convergence Partners (12.5%)
• Shanduka Group (12.5%)

The remaining 23.44% is held by Herakles Telecom LLC.

SEACOM has the skills, resources and project management capabilities to operate as a fully-fledged telecoms player able to meet the African market’s immediate requirements for cheap and readily available bandwidth. The recruitment process which evolved throughout the cable laying project and land preparation saw many experienced local telecommunications professionals from India, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania coming on board to operate and maintain the cable stations. Many of these personnel have been trained by SEACOM and these teams are complemented by landing partners’ operators in the respective landing countries. SEACOM is pleased to have been able to tap into the huge resource of talented young African telecommunication professionals who are now providing customers with the required support.

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“SEACOM is ideally suited to provide international connectivity that will complement ETC’s extensive national initiative to link the country’s businesses and end-users with fibre broadband connectivity. The availability of high quality broadband at lower prices will accelerate economic development and educational initiatives that will enhance lives and will also establish Ethiopia as an important commercial center for Africa and as a regional transit point for other service providers.” - Mr Amare Amsalu, ETC CEO.

“SEACOM is honoured to have been selected by ETC to provide this important international broadband connectivity element to Ethiopia.  As we have seen in other countries that gained access to SEACOM, it is only a matter of time before the direct socio-economic benefits created by cheap and readily available bandwidth begin to manifest in Ethiopia and the region." - Brian Herlihy, SEACOM CEO

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Social Media Release created and issued by Brandsh on behalf of SEACOM.