The long-awaited open access undersea cable, Seacom, will make its commercial debut today.
Despite delays caused by Somali pirates, capacity on the 1.28 Terabytes per second, 17 000km, cable - linking south and east Africa to global networks - will be lit up for those companies that jumped on the access wagon.
“Today is a historic day for Africa and marks the dawn of a new era for communications between the continent and the rest of the world,” says Seacom CEO Brian Herlihy.
Seacom is expected to be a catalyst that will dramatically change the Internet market in SA. The cable promises competitive international broadband access rates and faster speeds. “Our tireless efforts of the past 24 months have come to fruition, and we are proud to be the first to provide affordable, high-quality broadband capacity and experience to east African economies,” adds Herlihy.
While the change is expected to take some time, Herlihy knows that there is much expectation for the cable to start an Internet price shift locally.
“Turning the switch 'on' creates a huge anticipation, but, ultimately, Seacom will be judged on the changes that take place on the continent over the coming years.”
Seacom chairman Nizar Juma says that change is inevitable. “The Seacom cable will change the lives of every man, woman and child in the countries connected, by making previously unavailable technology accessible to everyone. We truly look forward to the positive utilisation of the cable and the realisation of infinite social and economic possibilities unleashed by our arrival.”
This afternoon's official launch ceremony will see several industry players given the opportunity to test the actual capacity and speed. Follow it on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ITWeb or through #Seacom for a blow-by-blow account of the test.
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