Seacom rolls out IP platform

Seacom is rolling out a new IP platform project, which will allow for content to be cached on the African continent.

The project involves the design, deployment and operation of nine land-based Internet access points that will store popular Web content closer to where the Internet is accessed, "thereby enabling a richer and faster Internet browsing experience for end-users", says Seacom.

Six of the nine IP network nodes are already live, including Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Maputo, Marseille, Mombasa and Mtunzini. Network nodes are imminent for Nairobi, Uganda and Rwanda.

The IP platform will allow for direct routing between African countries through a single network. It also enables Seacom to offer a wider range of services, including IP VPN, Internet, IP Transit, Ethernet and IPL offerings.

"As a result, customers are able to reach multiple countries using the shortest path to final destination, without Internet traffic being transferred via Europe," says Seacom.

The new product set promises increased bandwidth granularity, security features to protect against denial-of-service attacks, support for virtual networks across multiple African countries, and content cached on the African continent.

According to Seacom CEO Brian Herlihy, the majority of Internet content consumed in Africa is non-African, flowing rather from Europe and North America into Africa.

"We believe that the growth of the African ICT market, including mobile penetration and the eager adoption of social networking, coupled with the development of cloud services, will result in a rapid increase in content on African soil."

Cisco, Dimension Data and Interoute were all closely involved in the design procurement and deployment of the Seacom IP network.

Head of product strategy at Seacom Suveer Ramdhani emphasised that the approach of partnering with established players to provide broadband services will continue as Seacom develops its products and services in the future.

"The monthly lease cost for a STM-1 circuit declined by over 80%, from R2.1 million per month in 2006, to R0.4 million per month currently. Just consider the uncapped ADSL offerings from MWeb and Cell C's HSDPA+ platform offerings."

In terms of Seacom's impact on the rest of Africa, the company says its $600 million investment in the undersea cable has been the catalyst for a $6 billion investment in terrestrial networks in Africa.

Ramdhani also noted that Seacom's partnership with MainOne now provides African East Coast to West Coast connectivity, which is a “historical first for the continent”.

Seacom also said it is close to completing its own connection to Europe. “All construction is complete and we are ready to connect to London, bar Egypt,” says Ramdhani, who would not take further questions on the subject due to the political sensitivity of the situation.