VODAFONE has successfully landed the 2Africa cable in Bude, a town in Northern Cornwall, UK. The 2Africa cable is the world’s largest fibre-optic cable system and will connect Africa, Europe, and significant parts of the Middle East and South Asia once fully operational.
The 2Africa cable stretches an impressive 45,000km and is a joint venture owned by Vodafone, along with consortium partners Bayobab, China Mobile, Meta, Orange, Saudi Telecom, Telecom Egypt, and WIOCC. Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) is supplying the cable.
Vodafone stated that the latest landing in Cornwall will facilitate faster and more reliable connectivity for UK businesses looking to deliver digital services to Africa. The total capacity of the cable is up to 180 terabits per second (Tbps).
As the lead partner for the UK landing, Vodafone is tasked with managing the physical cable’s arrival, burial on the beach, and installation into a newly constructed beach manhole. From this manhole, the 2Africa cable will connect to terrestrial cables linking back to Vodafone’s existing cable landing station.
Additionally, Vodafone will provide onward connectivity via two diverse terrestrial infrastructure and fibre routes linking to the London area. Vodafone has already begun carrying customer traffic on its segment of the cable, which consists of dual-fibre cables with an expected lifespan of 25 years.
Vodafone has played a significant role in 11 landings of the 2Africa cable to date, including locations such as the Canary Islands and South Africa. The completion of the 2Africa cable will significantly enhance global connectivity, supporting high-speed internet and digital services across multiple continents.
This ambitious project underscores Vodafone’s commitment to improving global digital infrastructure, thereby fostering enhanced communication and economic growth across the connected regions.
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