COME the last quarter of this year, Namibia will have internet speed four times faster than the west African region, following the landing of the Equiano Cable in Namibia last week.
The landing of the cable will indirectly create jobs, and improve business efficiency as internet speed becomes faster.
In February last year, it was announced that Paratus Namibia and Telecom Namibia had been selected to build the cable landing station (CLS) for the Equiano subsea internet cable in Namibia.
The Equiano subsea cable is expected to provide communications diversity, due to its increased capacity. This will have a direct impact on connectivity, with faster internet speeds, more flexibility in the market and an improved user experience for consumers in Namibia and beyond.
To be fully operational by the last quarter of this year, it is expected to deliver up to 20 times more capacity than was previously available in Namibia.
According to an economic impact assessment, conducted by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics, and commissioned by Google, Equiano's arrival in Namibia is set to increase internet speeds by over 2,5 times; increase internet penetration by 7,5% over the next three years; and act as a catalyst for considerable growth, job creation and sustainability.
Commenting on the landing of the cable, Telecom Namibia chief executive Stanley Shanapinda described the Google Equiano Cable shore landing is a major step in the development of the national telecommunications infrastructure.
"This cable will become a critical element in meeting Namibia's current and future international connectivity demands, as the cable incorporates new technology that enables approximately 20 times more network capacity than the current West Africa Cable System (WACS)," he said.
He added that the cable will ensure redundancy for Telecom Namibia and offers an alternative when other routes may be impaired.
"Improved connectivity will accelerate job creation. Between 2022 and 2025, Equiano is expected to indirectly create 21 000 jobs in Namibia, driven by the expansion of the digital economy and associated business sectors. This is also in line with Namibia's long-term development framework - Vision 2030 - which positions ICT as a key pillar of the country's economy," noted Shanapinda.
Paratus Group's chief executive, Barney Harmse, said Namibia has higher internet connection levels - at 40,5%, compared with an average of 29% for sub-Saharan African countries. However, Namibia has relied upon the WACS for its international connectivity until now.
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"The landing of the Equiano cable will significantly increase Namibia's international bandwidth capacity, as it is four times greater than WACS. This will not only ensure better stability of connectivity in the country, but also lower latency and higher speeds in global transmission of data," he said.
Nitin Gajria, the managing director of Google sub-Saharan Africa, said Google is committed to supporting Africa's digital transformation, and he was excited to see the impact of the landing of Equiano in Namibia.
"We've worked with experts - Paratus Group (and Telecom Namibia) in Namibia - to guarantee that Equiano has the greatest potential effect in Namibia and throughout Africa," he said
Paratus completed the building of the CLS in September last year, and the internal fit - including power, cabling cabinets, conduits, raceways, cages, and security - was completed in January 2022.
- [email protected]; @Lasarus_A on Twitter
