Antananarivo, 10 February 2023 2Africa, the largest subsea cable system in the world, has landed at Mahajanga. Telma has partnered with Vodafone to link Madagascar to this first cable system designed to serve the whole of Africa and bring a seamless international connectivity up to three billion people. This new infrastructure will significantly reinforce Telma’s capability to meet the fast-growing demand for online services in Madagascar. The 2Africa East cable system, of which the Mahajanga branch is part of, will be ready for service by the fourth quarter of 2023. Businesses and consumers will benefit from improved quality, reliability and lower latency for internet services, including telecommuting, high-definition video streaming, and advanced multimedia applications. The largest subsea cable system in the world Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) is responsible for deploying this 45 000-kilometre cable system, designed with a capacity of 180 Tbits per second, it will interconnect 33 countries in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Delivering more than the total combined capacity of all subsea cables serving Africa today, 2Africa will provide much-needed internet capacity and reliability across Africa supporting the growth of 4G, 5G, and fixed broadband access for hundreds of millions of people. According to a study by RTI International, 2Africa is expected to have an economic impact of USD 26.2-36.9 billion, or the equivalent of 0.42-0.58% of Africa’s GDP, within two to three years after its commissioning. Benefits for Madagascar “As the country’s native and leading operator, Telma is committed to providing the latest telecommunications infrastructure to fulfil the needs of businesses, administrations, and the 28 million Malagasy in the country. 2Africa’s seamless connectivity will be a game-changer for numerous economic sectors by allowing access to the highest-speed internet network. Beyond the business scope, we aim to offer every Malagasy the opportunity and means to become a citizen of the digital world. 2Africa will also be an asset to meet many of the UN Sustainable Development Goals related to internet connectivity and a major step in the realization of the Malagasy state vision ‘Initiative for the Emergence of Madagascar.” Patrick Pisal Hamida, CEO of Telma Madagascar. Telma remains the main telecommunication investor in Madagascar. Telma’s investments in the national optic fiber backbone (10,000 km), the main telecommunication pylon parc (1,600 sites), and the three existing international subsea cables (EASSy, LION, METISS) gave the country a competitive advantage to attract foreign Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies. EASSy, LION, METISS, and 2Africa connect the Island to the world through Telma’s national backbone, which is the only optic fiber infrastructure serving the country’s major cities. With the deployment of the 2Africa cable, Telma will significantly increase its capacities in internet connectivity. “AXIAN Telecom strives to push the boundaries of digital inclusion in Africa and we are pleased to be working with our partners in the 2Africa initiative to support this goal. By bringing faster and more reliable internet to businesses and consumers alike, 2Africa transformative subsea cable is a key enabler to help shaping the digital future of the countries we operate in.” Stephane Oudin, AXIAN Telecom CEO. Further information can be found on the 2Africa website at https://www.2africacable.net/about ABOUT AXIAN TELECOM AXIAN Telecom is a pan-African telecommunications services and infrastructures provider operating in nine markets through its subsidiaries in Madagascar, Comoros, Reunion, Mayotte, Senegal, Togo, Uganda, Tanzania and DRC. It operates across three key business segments, providing mobile and fixed network services as well as digital infrastructure and mobile financial services. AXIAN Telecom serves around 33 million customers and is a market disruptor, having expanded from one market (Madagascar) until 2015 to eight markets today, through active acquisitions and major network investments. We systematically ensure that our business have a sustainable and positive impact on the daily lives of millions of people. Find more about AXIAN Telecom: www.axian-telecom.com
