06-02-2022
Vodafone Qatar announced the establishment of an international submarine cable station to host the largest submarine cable in the world, as it signed an agreement with the Saudi Telecom Group, a member of the (2Africa) alliance for a period of 20 years. Under which Vodafone will build and operate an international submarine cable station for the project in Qatar, making the State of Qatar a party to a multi-regional project that supports the ever-growing global digital economy, and opens the door to a wide range of local and international opportunities.
It is worth noting that (2Africa) is the largest and largest submarine cable system ever implemented, and the project was established thanks to an alliance of major companies in the telecommunications and technology sectors, including Facebook, China International Mobile Services Corporation, Vodafone Group, MTN Global Connect, and Orange, STC, Telecom Egypt, and others. The new broadband cable will serve more communities that rely on the Internet to provide services to consumers and establish commercial activities, and will enable them to reap huge economic and social benefits from enhanced Internet connectivity.
Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani, CEO of Vodafone Qatar, commented, “We are pleased to be part of this project that will accelerate the digital transformation and increase the capacity, quality and availability of internet connectivity in Qatar. We are currently working on Building a new submarine cable station, which confirms the role we play as a strategic gateway to the world, and how together we can continue to transform Qatar into a global center relying on our strong communications infrastructure. Through global submarine cable networks Qatar will be increasingly connected and linked to the global digital economy. This contributes to boosting growth rates in our markets through trade and investment, in addition to increasing local and international business activity.”
This huge project of submarine cables also serves the African continent and the Middle East, providing international connections to nearly 3 billion people representing 36% of the world's population. The new part of the network - named Africa PEARLS2 - extends to the Persian Gulf, India and Pakistan, and this extension brings the total length of the cable system (2Africa) to more than 45,000 km.
Submarine cable systems link the world's continents together and enable rapid digital transmission of data using fiber-optic technologies that are more efficient in transmitting data at speeds and volumes much greater than that of satellites. Submarine cables, which will be an extension of Vodafone's advanced network, have a key role in driving economic development in modern digital societies.