Niël Terblanché
Telecom Namibia (TN) took another step in enhancing internet connectivity with the inauguration of its Equiano Cable Station and the activation of its segment of the Equiano subsea cable.
The inauguration event in Swakopmund on Wednesday was attended by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works and Transport, John Mutorwa, who praised TN’s commitment to infrastructure development.
“This strategic investment in network modernization and the collaborative co-landing of the Equiano Cable alongside Paratus exemplifies a commendable initiative,” Mutorwa said.
Telecom Namibia’s Chief Executive Officer, Stanley Shanapinda, highlighted the operational benefits of the new 100G link via Equiano between Swakopmund and Johannesburg.
“This link has alleviated congestion on terrestrial routes and reduced latency to South Africa, ensuring the highest quality of service for our customers,” Shanapinda said.
He added that this advancement is expected to enhance TN’s network performance, providing faster and more reliable connectivity for users.
The Deputy Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises, Maureen Hinda-Mbuende, said that this development presents an opportunity for Southern African Development Community (SADC) nations to collaborate more closely in information and communications technology, bridging the digital divide and improving access for all.
“This upgrade boosts Namibia’s digital infrastructure substantially while providing enhanced connectivity and unlocking an array of new opportunities,” she said.
The Equiano cable, supported by Google, connects Namibia to Europe via Portugal and other parts of Africa through Cape Town and Johannesburg.
According to an economic impact assessment by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics, the Equiano subsea cable is projected to increase internet penetration in Namibia by 7.5% by 2025, stimulating substantial economic growth, job creation, and sustainability.
Paratus Group, the landing partner for Equiano in Namibia, played a crucial role in the project.
TN’s cable activation is viewed as a huge step in delivering enhanced connectivity to Namibia and the broader SADC region.
With its impressive design capacity of 144 Tbps, the Equiano subsea provides approximately 20 times more capacity than existing cables connecting Europe to South Africa.
This capacity ensures better stability, lower latency, and higher speeds in global data transmission, benefiting both businesses and residences in Namibia.
Equiano’s expansive reach includes strategic terrestrial fibre networks across southern Africa, with essential cross-border links from Namibia to Zambia, Botswana, and Johannesburg.
This network configuration bypasses central and western South Africa, offering true resilience and redundancy for exceptional connectivity and uninterrupted services.
As a result, latency has been significantly reduced, with future improvements expected to bring further reductions.
The activation of the Equiano cable is set to revolutionize Namibia’s digital landscape while also creating new opportunities for economic growth, enhancing international connectivity, and promoting digital transformation in Namibia and the wider region.
