Main One cable opens for business
By MARTIN EPKEKE
Africa appears set to end its bandwidth scarcity with the launch of
Main One connectivity sea cable. The 1.92 terabytes and 7400
kilometre long submarine fibre cable system links West Africa to
Europe.
With a long history of bandwidth famine, Main One is joining other
similar efforts to open the last connected continent. Africa is the
least connected of all continents and has the most costly price tag
on bandwidth thus ensuring that more than 80% of the continent’s
over 750 million people stay outside the information highway.
“Africa’s connectivity was largely based on the very pricey
satellite connections and the only submarine fiber optic cable,
SAT-3/WASC/SAFE owned by government telcos who did everything
possible to ensure the benefits were never optimized. SAT-3
bandwidth in African countries whether in Nigeria through NITEL or
Ghana through GT (Ghana Telecom) came at the price of a piece of the
moon. In all the countries that SAT-3 had a landing, telecom
services were rendered over 50 times the price you could access the
same or better services in Europe and other parts of the world.”
But Main One is ending all that with the launch of its connectivity
cable that connects more than 10 West African countries. “Today is a
historic day for West Africa. The arrival of the Main One cable
proves that much good can be done by Africans for Africans. We are
pleased to realize the fruit of our dedication and commitment in the
past 30 months. More importantly, we are happy to be a channel for
driving growth in Africa and changing the status quo for the average
African as reliable internet connectivity become easily accessible
and affordable for all,” said Chairman of Main One cable company Mr.
Fola Adeola in a ceremony in Lagos marking the start of commercial
business for the company.
The launch event held simultaneously in London and Lagos served as a
major gathering for stakeholders from the business and public
sectors. In attendance was Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the
Nigerian Communications Commission Dr. Bashir Gwandu, the Executive
Governor of Lagos; State Babatunde Fashola, the Executive and
Governor of Cross River State; Senator Liyel Imoke.
The Main One cable joins the 2009 entry of the Seacom cable
connecting eastern and southern Africa with Asia, and the TEAMs
cable terminating in Kenya to radically begin to change the African
connectivity landscape for good. Glo 1 also joined the trail this
year to reinforce Africa’s connectivity infrastructures particularly
across West Africa.
Two more sea cables are on the start line already for 2010: The
Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (EASSy) and LION bring
connectivity to the southern and eastern parts of the continent. The
sub-marine fiber optic ring is not complete. Two more, WACS and ACE
should join the competition from 2011 to 2012 to redraw Africa’s
connectivity map in more exciting ways than once anticipated about
20 years ago.
Main One is poised to deliver high capacity connectivity to its
subscribers said CEO of Main One Cable Company Ms Funke Opeke. She
said over ten telecom operators have already subscribed to the
service of Main One cable to underscore the yearning gaps
connectivity.
