SAEx, Alcatel Submarine Networks Start Work on New Subsea Cable

SAEx International and Alcatel Submarine Networks, a subsidiary of Nokia, have signed an agreement to start desktop study, permitting and survey activities for a new 25,000km submarine cable network linking Asia, South Africa and the Americas.

The SAEx system will have an overall ultimate capacity design up to 108 terabits-per-second (Tbit/s) and will be composed of two key phases: SAEx1 will connect South Africa with Brazil and the US, with a branch to St Helena and stub branches for future landings in West Africa and other Atlantic islands. SAEx2 will connect South Africa to both India and Singapore.

With a network ready for service in the first half of 2021, this end-to-end project will further increase connectivity in Africa, deliver significant capacity for wholesale and will enhance service and traffic protection through critical cable route diversity between key markets in Asia and the Americas, SAEx said.

Rosalind Thomas, managing director of SAEx, said: “SAEx will support efficiency in Asian and African connectivity by adding a direct low-latency route that’s able to address the growing capacity requirements for Data Centre Interconnect globally. Additionally, it will further evolve South Africa’s positioning as a global hub, providing a direct link between the Americas and Asia, simplifying and enhancing communications between the five most populous countries in the world.”

Philippe Piron, president & CEO of Alcatel Submarine Networks added: “We are delighted to work with SAEx for this significant project, creating new and diverse routes around the globe at a time of tremendous growth in African broadband, mobile and cloud based applications that are driving service providers’ demand for more connectivity options with higher reliability. This project confirms Alcatel Submarine Networks’ turn-key expertise in helping operators address the fast growth of data-intensive services and applications.”

ASN will deliver the full project, end-to-end, including network design, manufacturing, installation and commissioning. SAEx will use the latest technologies available, including premium fiber, high power repeaters and pump farming, maximizing network fiber capacity for a cost-effective solution.