African operator Angola Cables has announced a strategic partnership with DE-CIX, to establish a new neutral interconnection environment in the Republic of Angola and in the Southern African Region.
Africa is often referred to as the “dark continent,” with Internet and telephony penetration rates some of the lowest in the world. That, however, is changing rapidly, with projects like the West African Cable System (WACS) and the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) being planned and deployed to deliver much-needed connectivity to the continent. Angola hosts one of the landing sites for WACS and the African landing site for SACS.
“Angola is at an important point in its history,” said António Nunes, president of Angola Cables. “The [memorandum of understanding] comes at a critical time in the development of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Internet market, as major global and local players increasingly face the challenge of promoting innovative Internet services while continuing to ensure safe and effective online usage. DE-CIX has experience in developing strong Internet ecosystems around the world, and we look forward to working with them.”
Angola Cables will be supported by DE-CIX as the company aims to create an enhanced interconnection environment to deliver more robust Internet services throughout the region at speeds up to 20Gbps.
“The German Internet market has grown substantially over the past few years and is an excellent example of a successful partnership between industry and related stakeholders,” said Harald Summa, executive board member of DE-CIX. “Likewise, the Internet market within SADC has developed quickly over the past few years, providing opportunity for further development and expansion. Angola Cables is an innovator, playing a pivotal role in the development of the entire region. DE-CIX is delighted to sign this MOU, which opens doors for further cooperation between our two organizations and enables us to promote the growth of the Internet sector in Africa for the future.”
