Africa now has a fair share of broadband pipe

July 31, 2017

Internet users in Southern and Eastern Africa received good news last week, as an optic line linking Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania to each other, Europe, and India was completed.

Future improvements include linking Ethiopia and Rwanda to the fibre optic line as well and onwards into the interior countries of Africa.

Seacom was responsible for the line and said that its installation should make internet connections easier to afford as well as more reliable and faster.

The company also stated that the fibre optic network is able to handle various types of traffic from data and voice support to video support. Cell phone users should also benefit from the installation of the line.

In the past, United States calls to Africa would be directed through London, Frankfort, or Brussels and then sent via satellite to Africa.

However, satellite phone calls cause a lag time in transfers which creates an echo on the line according to the founder and CEO of Seacom, Brian Herlihy.

Now Herlihy says that with the network in place United States, calls can be sent directly to London and onto Kenya, which will improve the overall quality of the phone call.

Seacom officials also said that the new network will help increase trade among African countries and other emerging parts of the developing world.

Herlihy also stated that developing countries are gaining a large presence on the internet, with India currently accounting for 10%of web traffic, which is expected to increase to around 30% in the next five years.