Telkom Kenya to build another undersea fibre cable

The planned cable will be the sixth linking Kenya with the rest of the world and is expected to connect the country with Asia and Europe. [Courtesy]

Telkom Kenya is investing in yet another submarine fibre optic cable system to add to the undersea networks that the government-owned telecommunication firm has a stake in. 

The planned cable will be the sixth linking Kenya with the rest of the world and is expected to connect the country with Asia and Europe.

Telkom is the local partner in the cable that will go by the name Pakistan and East Africa Connecting to Europe (Peace), which is owned by Chinese firm Peace Cable International Network, a subsidiary of Chengtong Group.

“When complete, the high-speed Peace cable system will offer the shortest routes from China to Europe and Africa, interconnecting three of the world’s most populous continents,” said Telkom Kenya in an environmental impact assessment lodged with the National Environment Management Authority as it sought approval for the project.

“Telkom Kenya is the landing party to the Peace Cable and the project proponent for the Peace Cable landing in Kenya.”

It expects the project to be concluded by end of 2021. 

The cable has key landing points in France, Pakistan and Kenya, with plans to extend to South Africa in its second phase.

It will be the sixth undersea cable to land in Mombasa since the East African Marine System, where Telkom is also a shareholder, and privately-owned Seacom in 2009.

The two, as well as subsequent undersea cables, brought with them huge bandwidth as well as high speed internet while reducing the cost of connectivity.

This has over the last decade transformed the country’s digital economy.

Telkom Kenya is also a shareholder in the Lower Indian Ocean Network (Lion), the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (Eassy)and the Djibouti Africa Regional Express 1 (Dare1) cable systems, placing it at the heart of the largest network of submarine cables in the region.