African telecom provider Seacom is investigating the possibility of laying a new data connection across Africa. Interestingly, the company is considering an undersea cable that runs primarily over land.
According to Senior Transmission Architect Nic Breytenbach, Seacom wants to use the project to tackle a structural problem. Africa currently has several submarine cables along the east and west coasts, but no connection crosses the continent from coast to coast. When disruptions occur on the east coast, where most connections to Europe and Asia run, data traffic has to be rerouted via the southern tip of the continent. This results in higher costs, longer delays, and dependence on scarce and expensive capacity on other routes.
A direct connection across Africa could alleviate these problems. The construction of such a connection has long been considered unfeasible, explains The Register. The terrain between the Kenyan port city of Mombasa and the Atlantic coast of Congo is difficult to traverse, energy supplies along the route are often lacking, and the political situation in some regions makes infrastructure projects complex.
Submarine cable less vulnerable
However, Seacom sees opportunities enabled by technology typically used in submarine cables. Such systems do not require a constant power source and can be laid partly underwater or through swampy areas, making them less vulnerable to theft or sabotage. Breytenbach notes that traditional telecom cables often contain copper, making them attractive to metal thieves. Submarine cables use fiber optics and can use aluminum for electrical conduction, which greatly reduces their value to thieves.
One practical problem, however, is that submarine cables are generally designed for cold ocean environments. A connection that runs largely over land in the tropics would have to function in much warmer conditions. According to Breytenbach, existing cables in Lake Tanganyika, among other places, show that the technology can be adapted. The availability of robust amplifiers from suppliers such as Nokia also inspires confidence that an undersea cable on land is technically feasible.
In addition to the technical challenges, Seacom must also overcome diplomatic, logistical, and operational obstacles. Among other things, the company will need to obtain permissions from multiple countries, plan maintenance in remote areas, and figure out how to transport the cable over land. Ships that normally lay submarine cables can carry hundreds of kilometers of cable; on land, this is much more difficult to organize, especially in regions accessible only by helicopter.
Red Sea vulnerable spot
Breytenbach emphasizes that the idea is still in its early stages. The priority at the moment is Seacom 2.0, a new international cable connecting Africa with Europe, India, and Singapore. This route runs through the Red Sea, where recent cable breaks have already caused disruptions. It is precisely this vulnerability that is an important reason for Seacom to explore alternative routes within Africa.
Although the project is still far from implementation, Seacom is convinced that a connection across Africa is technically feasible. The company sees it as a potentially important step towards a more robust and independent African internet network.