Kenya’s fourth submarine cable, the Lower Indian Ocean Network (LION2), will go live in April, the CapitalNews noted.
The cable was landed in Mombasa in December 2011 and is at this time waiting for connection, the Orange Kenya company informed.
Company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer said that the firm is performing work at the landing station in Mombasa.
The 3,000 kilometre-long LION2 cable will stretch to Nyali via the island of Mayotte, located in vicinity of Mauritius.
This transmission line is part of a larger project by France Telecom and twelve members of the Lower Indian Ocean Network developed to construct a submarine cable linking Madagascar to the rest of the world via Reunion Island and Mauritius.
Estimates made by the company show that the costs of construction will be around KES 6.2 billion.
Information Minister Samuel Poghisio is confident that once it is switched on, LION2 will increase competition in the industry and help further reduce internet connectivity fees.
[mappress] Subsea World News Staff , February 23, 2012; Image: Orange