New submarine cable to make Internet access 10 times faster

Liquid Sea, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liquid Telecom, is planning to transform the speed, reliability and cost of Internet in Africa through a new sub-sea cable that will link the continent to the Middle East and Europe.

The cable will cover about 10,000 kilometres from South Africa to the Middle East and will be connected to Liquid Telecom’s pan-African terrestrial network.

Digital future

Its completion is expected to enable reliable and low-cost Internet connectivity to landlocked and coastal countries in eastern, central and southern Africa.

Liquid Telecom Group CEO Nick Rudnick said the project reaffirms the company’s commitment to building Africa’s digital future and removing bottlenecks in providing Internet connectivity across the continent.

“The impact of Liquid Sea will be a far more reliable and ultra-fast connection for governments, businesses, schools and homes,” he said.

Once complete, it is expected to offer speeds of up to 20 to 30 terabits per second (Tbps) — about 10 times the capacity of existing submarine cables in the region.

A request for tenders to lay the cable has been issued, with the project expected to be completed within the next two years.

The new project will include landing stations in several ports that are currently not served by existing sub-sea cables. It will also leverage Liquid Telecom’s terrestrial fibre network, which is the largest of its kind in Africa, to provide onward connectivity to countries without a coastline or seaport, which are often overlooked in such international projects.

“This project will provide a step change in the way Internet connectivity is regarded in Africa. It is of utmost importance to us to create equal opportunities for people living both in coastal and landlocked countries,” said David Eurin, Liquid Telecom’s group chief strategy officer.