## Key Developments in African Cable Infrastructure
Recent news highlights a significant achievement for Namibia with the launch of its Equiano cable station, alongside plans for the 2Africa cable to make its landing in Pakistan.
### Namibia’s Big Leap
Telecom Namibia is celebrating 32 years of service as it leads the celebrations for the activation of Google’s Equiano undersea cable. This event is reported to place Namibia on the path to becoming a central hub for information and communication technology (ICT) in the region. The new Telecom Namibia Equiano Cable Station was inaugurated recently in the coastal city of Swakopmund.
This high-capacity cable connects Namibia to Europe through Portugal and links it with other African nations via major cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg.
### Technology Upgrades
According to Stanley Shanapinda, the CEO of Telecom Namibia, the company has successfully set up a 100G link between Swakopmund and Johannesburg. This advancement aims to relieve congestion on terrestrial paths and lower latency in connections to South Africa.
### Future Prospects for 2Africa
In an additional milestone, the Pakistani telecom company Transworld Associates (TWA) has announced its plans to land the expansive 2Africa cable in Karachi. This cable is noted as the world’s largest subsea network, stretching over 45,000 kilometers and connecting 33 countries through 46 landing points across Europe and Asia.
The new section, known as 2Africa Pearls, was added to the original project, unveiled in 2021, which further expands landing options to Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, India, and Saudi Arabia.
### Consortium Efforts
For the Karachi portion of the cable, China Mobile International and Meta are serving as consortium partners. They have entrusted the operational and ownership duties to Transworld Associates.
TWA aims to connect a Tier III-quality, carrier-neutral data center situated at their cable landing site to the 2Africa cable, alongside other cable systems.
### Expansion in Karachi
Currently, Karachi boasts at least seven existing underwater cables, with more expected to be operational soon. TWA also owns the Transworld-1 cable, which connects Pakistan with both the UAE and Oman, and participates in the SeaMeWe-5 submarine cable initiative.
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What are your thoughts on the impact of these developments on the future of digital connectivity in Africa and beyond?