2Africa Subsea Cable Lands in Ras Ghareb, Egypt

A second landing of the 2Africa subsea cable is anticipated in Port Said in the Mediterranean Sea at a later time.

As members of the 2Africa consortium, Meta and Telecom Egypt announce the first landing of the 2Africa subsea cable in Egypt in Ras Ghareb in the Red Sea. The cable will be stretched to a total of 46 locations across Africa, Europe, and Asia by the time the project is finished in 2024, with the Ras Ghareb landing being just one of several that will happen in the upcoming months.

Building on prior investments, Meta and Telecom Egypt’s contribution to 2Africa allows more internet users to have a better experience while advocating for a more accessible and cheap internet for everyone.

The 2Africa subsea cable system, which was announced in May 2020, and its Pearls expansion are intended to connect three continents—Africa, Europe, and Asia—and provide three billion people—or 36% of the world’s population—with seamless worldwide access.

It will be the longest underwater cable ever deployed at 45,000 kilometers, supporting towns that depend on the internet for services like education, healthcare, and business. All of these places will reap the benefits of this improved connectivity in terms of the economy and society. Subsea cables connect people and countries, laying the groundwork for the global internet. They are projected to be crucial to the Middle East and Africa’s further development.

Subsea cables frequently result in economic growth for the local community, which helps both people and businesses. For instance, RTI predicts that within two to three years of being into operation, 2Africa will have a USD 26.2 to 36.4 billion impact (at purchasing power parities) on Africa’s GDP.

The CEO and Managing Director of Telecom Egypt, Adel Hamed, said:

“We are pleased with Telecom Egypt’s continued success in growing its global infrastructure. Today we are thrilled to announce the first landing of 2Africa in Ras Ghareb, where we recently celebrated the landing of our Red2Med cable system. In a couple of months, Port Said will host the second landing in Egypt. As a consortium member and a provider of hybrid crossing solutions (using two brand-new terrestrial crossing routes in addition to a subsea route in the Red Sea via Red2Med), our contribution to 2Africa is yet another example of our dedication to offering best-in-class services to both domestic and foreign clients.

In order to preserve our competitive edge in the region by giving our partners the best services and solutions, we are always investing in new infrastructure and growing dynamically.

Middle East and North Africa Regional Director Fares Akkad said:

“Connecting people is the very core of Meta’s priorities, and access to faster internet is no longer a luxury but an absolute necessity, as crystalized by the COVID-19 crisis. The internet was integral to keeping our daily lives running in some semblance of routine. In times of trouble, it is a tool for survival, while during better times, it is essential to help economies across the world thrive and raise the standards of living for large segments of society. Investing in submarine cables brings more people online to a faster internet, and 2Africa is a perfect example of our innovative partnership model where everyone benefits through the development of technology infrastructure to lead the industry in routes, capacity, and flexibility.”

Two overland trans-Egypt routes near the Suez Canal will link the Ras Ghareb landing to the proposed Port Said landing. The crossover system will provide seamless optical routes between Africa, Asia, and Europe when it is implemented using next-generation fiber. The undersea festoon in the Red Sea on Telecom Egypt’s ground-breaking Red2Med cable system, which connects Ras Ghareb, Zaafarana, and Suez, completes it.

China Mobile International, Meta, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, STC, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone, and WIOCC are all members of the 2Africa consortium.