Alcatel-Lucent in $79m cable deal

Johannesburg, 14 Dec 2007

Alcatel-Lucent has signed a $79 million turnkey contract for a 4 900km submarine cable network linking Kenya and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The money is being put up by The East Africa Marine System (Teams) consortium, which includes the Kenyan government and the UAE`s Etisalat (Emirates Telecom Corporation).

The Teams network will connect the port of Mombasa, in Kenya, with Fujairah, in the UAE. It will offer the required optical connectivity to bring broadband to all users and position Kenya as a new communications hub.

Network installation will be under way by the end of the first quarter of 2009.

Alcatel-Lucent says the Teams submarine cable network will dramatically increase regional communication capabilities and support new high-quality broadband services, such as free Internet for schools and "Ethernet-based services to further bolster social and economic development". The cable will have a designed ultimate capacity of 640Gb.

"With Alcatel-Lucent`s cable solution, we will bring down the cost of Internet connectivity and international calls," says Information Ministry permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo.

"As an important economic player in East Africa, such high-speed communications links will support the business community`s investment in outsourcing services, which are becoming increasingly popular in Kenya."

Technological advantages

Etisalat chairman Mohd Hassan Omran added that technology "brings significant and proven benefits to the communities and economies in which it serves".

"By deploying the first direct connection from East Africa to the world, we are helping to close the digital divide between nations. We believe this project will have a far-reaching impact on the continent that will be felt for decades to come," Omran added.

The Alcatel-Lucent managed solution will be based on its 1620 Light Manager next-generation DWDM submarine platform, and will also include cable and submarine repeaters, says Jean Godeluck, president of Alcatel-Lucent`s submarine network activities.

"This project is a new milestone in the development of the Eastern African communication infrastructures," Godeluck adds.

"Our submarine solutions offer the flexibly and reliability our customers demand to support the cost-effective delivery of innovative services. This contract is another significant demonstration of our strong leadership in submarine network solutions."