Seacom has earned the Carrier Ethernet 2.0 certification for services from the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), an industry association that provides a global services framework and the foundation for service innovation in the telecoms industry.
The MEF certification programme enables service providers to certify that their Carrier Ethernet services comply with the relevant MEF specifications.
According to a statement, the certification assures Seacom wholesale and commercial customers that the operator's network services conform to MEF's exacting standards of quality and performance.
The company was certified for all four MEF service types in November 2016. These include: Ethernet virtual private tree, Ethernet virtual private line, Ethernet access and Ethernet virtual private local network area.
Only a handful of carriers in Africa have received this certification, and Seacom is one of the few to have achieved the certification across a full suite of services, says Mark Tinka, head of Engineering at Seacom. Worldwide, more than 200 MEF certified service products have been deployed by more than 70 service providers using around 500 certified products from 80 equipment manufacturers, says Tinka.
"We are delighted to have received this certificate confirming that our Ethernet capabilities will meet the strictest requirements of the large enterprise clients and our wholesale service provider customers. Seacom offers the largest African MPLS backbone and our Ethernet services deliver high-quality connectivity with industry-leading POP-to-POP service level agreements.
Seacom's Ethernet Service provides e point-to-point and point-to-multipoint Ethernet over multi-protocol label switching connectivity between major African and International interconnection points. The Pan-African telecom operator launched Africa's first broadband submarine cable system along the eastern and southern coastlines in 2009, aiming to bring affordable Internet bandwidth.
Seacom is privately funded and 75% African-owned. The current ownership structure is as follows: Industrial Promotion Services 26.56%, Remgro Limited 25%, and Convergence Partners and Shanduka each holding 12.5% each. Herakles Telecom holds a 23.44% stake in the project.
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