Vodafone connects Qatar to world’s largest subsea cable project

By A Robin - February 10, 2022

Subsea cable project

Vodafone Qatar has announced that it has launched an international subsea cable station that hosts the largest subsea cable project in the world, due to a 20 year agreement signed with (STC) Saudi Telecom Company, a member of the 2Africa consortium.

Vodafone will build and operate an exclusive subsea cable station, which makes Qatar part of a multi-regional project that will support an ever-growing global digital economy, and opens up a breadth of local and international opportunities.

The 2Africa is the largest subsea cable system ever deployed, and is made possible through collaboration between large global players in the telecoms and technology industries including Facebook, China Mobile International, Vodafone Group, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, STC, Telecom Egypt, and others.

The newly expanded system will serve an even wider range of communities that rely on the Internet for consumer services and business purposes, and provide the vast range of economic and social benefits that come from increased connectivity.

CEO, Vodafone Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Abdulla Jassim Al Thani, said: “We are pleased to be part of this project that will increase the capacity, quality and availability of Internet connectivity in Qatar and contribute to the country’s digital transformation. We are currently building the new station for submarine cables, demonstrating the role we play as a strategic gateway to the world and how together we can continue to transform Qatar into a global hub, driven by our robust communications infrastructure. Through global subsea networks, Qatar is connected to the global digital economy which enables continued growth in our market via trade and investment, as well as an increase in the local and international business activity.”

The project serves the African continent and Middle East region, providing international connectivity to nearly three billion people representing 36 percent of the global population. The new segment of the network - named the 2Africa PEARLS branch - extends to the Arabian Gulf, India and Pakistan. This extension brings the total length of the 2Africa cable system to over 45,000km in length.

Submarine cable systems connect continents and make fast digital data transfer possible, using optical fibre technologies which are more reliable and can deliver far greater data capacity than satellites. Subsea cables, which are an extension of Vodafone’s enhanced network, are important in driving economic development within a modern digital society.