SEACOM sercive date postponed to 23rd July 2009

[Sandra Nassali]

The increase in pirate activity during April and May 2009, both in terms of intensity and geographical coverage, necessitated a change in SEACOM’s cable installation plans which resulted in a delay in the ready for service date from 27 June 2009 to 23 July 2009. The planned route required the ship to transit an area of increased pirate activity where other ships had been attacked or seized.

The cable deployment in the troublesome waters has since been completed and splicing to connect the section of cable from Mumbai to Africa is expected shortly. Testing of the larger cable system will be finalised shortly thereafter. The cable section from South Africa (Mtunzini) to Kenya (Mombasa), including all south and east African landing stations, has already undergone successful testing.

In the meantime, SEACOM is working with its contractor, Tyco Telecommunications, to find ways of accelerating the outstanding works and bring forward the ready for service date ahead of 23 July 2009.

Brian Herlihy, SEACOM CEO, said: “Due to sensitivities around piracy issues, their impact on the project timeline was only fully established recently and whilst I am personally truly disappointed by the delay, it was imperative that strong measures be put in place to guarantee the successful completion of the cable system and the safety of the ship and its crews.

“This setback should however be seen against the herculean efforts made by the team to see this project come to fruition over an incredibly tight schedule of only 18 months. We remain extremely excited and look forward to witnessing the huge difference that affordable, high quality and plentiful bandwidth will have throughout eastern and southern Africa.“

www.seacom/nu/news

[Sandra Nassali]

Good go at that Fredrick!! :-)..most of us too are eagerly waiting for the hands on bandwidths given our very poor internet connections at hand. Not only are individuals and companies going to benefit from this, but also Community Based Organizations like telecentres too.

It's construction will signal the onset of a new era in the Information and Communications Industry in the East African region. Apparently, over reliance on satellite based data solutions is blamed for the high cost of internet in the region.

The construction of this fibre optic will help develop appropriate infrastructure to oversea the rapidly increasing traffic. Opportunities to be realized will include high quality broadband international connectivity at affordable rates. It will also provide access to untapped emerging markets in voice, mobile and Internet traffic at lower costs.

Payments to foreign telecommunications facility providers will also be reduced since there will be an improved high capacity optic fibre connectivity with in Eastern and Southern Africa to the rest of the world.

Go SEACOM!!!

[Owino Fredrick]

As heavy consumers of bandwidth.i was glad when the government launched the fibre optic cable.ISPs in Nairobi have gone overdrive in their quest to woo subscribers.am dying to use the superior bandwiths promised pirates or no pirates!!