Meta has stated that the system connects East and West Africa in a single loop and hyperlinks the continent to the Center East, South Asia, and Europe
In sum – what to know:
2Africa subsea construct is now full – The 45,000-km open-access system connects 33 international locations throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia, forming the world’s longest subsea cable community.
New engineering options increase capability – The system makes use of 16-fiber-pair SDM design, deeper burial, and switching applied sciences to enhance bandwidth flexibility and resilience.
Anticipated to chop prices and increase progress – Capability will increase might decrease wholesale bandwidth costs, strengthen information heart and 5G ecosystems, and add billions to Africa’s GDP.
Meta and its consortium companions introduced the completion of the core 2Africa subsea cable system, which claims to be the world’s longest open-access subsea community. The system connects East and West Africa in a single loop and hyperlinks the continent to the Center East, South Asia, and Europe. It at present lands in 33 international locations and is designed to assist connectivity for greater than 3 billion folks throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia.
2Africa was developed by a consortium together with Meta, Bayobab (MTN Group), center3 (stc), CMI, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and WIOCC, with extra contributions from Bharti Airtel and MainOne on particular segments. The total system—together with the Pearls extension scheduled for 2026—extends roughly 45,000 kilometers. Deployment required coordination throughout 50 jurisdictions over almost six years, involving native companions for touchdown websites, development, and regulatory approvals, in keeping with Meta.
The subsea cable incorporates spatial division multiplexing (SDM) and helps as much as 16 fiber pairs, doubling the capability of older techniques. It additionally makes use of undersea optical switching for extra versatile bandwidth administration. Engineering work included deeper burial, routes designed to keep away from seabed hazards, redundant powering architectures, and options for safely crossing greater than 60 oil and gasoline pipelines, the agency added.
On the West section alone, the system helps 21 Tbps per fiber pair on eight pairs, for a complete trunk capability of as much as 180 Tbps. The elevated capability is anticipated to cut back wholesale bandwidth prices, increase competitors, and assist regional cloud, information heart, and 5G progress. Meta cites analysis indicating the system might add as much as $36.9 billion to Africa’s GDP inside a number of years of operation.
Meta can be planning a extra formidable cable system that goals to attach 5 continents. The 50,000 kilometer Mission Waterworth is anticipated to be the world’s longest 24-fiber-pair submarine cable, connecting the U.S., India, Brazil, South Africa, and different areas.
Earlier this week, Google unveiled Dhivaru, a brand new Trans-Indian Ocean subsea cable system that may hyperlink the Maldives, Christmas Island and Oman.
