from ALFRED SHILONGO in Windhoek, Namibia
Namibia Bureau
WINDHOEK, (CAJ News) – NAMIBIA is celebrating the activation of the Equiano undersea cable, which positions the Southern African country to become a regional information and communication technology (ICT) hub.
Telecom Namibia is leading the milestone, which coincides with the network operator also celebrating 32 years of service.
Late Wednesday, it inaugurated the Telecom Namibia Equiano Cable Station in the western Swakopmund.
The high-capacity cable links Namibia to Europe via Portugal and to the rest of Africa, by way of Cape Town and Johannesburg in neighbouring South Africa.
Officials hail the cable as a “game-changer” for Namibia’s future by fostering faster and more reliable communication.
The Equiano, commissioned by Google, is anticipated to unlock a wealth of opportunities across various sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, education and logistics in Namibia and serve as a catalyst for regional integration within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
Stanley Shanapinda, Telecom Namibia Chief Executive Officer, highlighted the company implemented a 100G link via Equiano between Swakopmund and Johannesburg.
He said the link had alleviated congestion on terrestrial routes and reduced latency to South Africa, ensuring the highest quality of service for our customers.
“This enhanced the performance of the Telecom Namibia network and provided faster, more reliable connectivity for users,” Shanapinda explained.
John Mutorwa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Transport, presided over the event.
“This strategic investment in network modernization and the collaborative co-landing of the Equiano cable alongside Paratus exemplifies a commendable initiative,” he said.
Combined with the existing West Africa Cable System (WACS), Namibia is poised to become an ICT hub.
– CAJ News