Glo-1 cable to boost bandwidth in sub-region

The Second National Operator (SNO) Globacom has planned to leverage on its Glo-1 submarine cable to boost bandwidth deployment in Nigeria and West Africa sub-region, just as arrangements have been advanced for the commissioning of the cable in the next five months.

Globacom’s Group Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Mohammed Jameel, who disclosed this, said that the billion-dollar infrastructure, which will connect West Africa to the United Kingdom, will be commissioned for commercial activities in March, 2009.

He also said that the bandwidth requirements of Nigeria and West Africa, for instance, will receive a major boost early next year with the proposed commissioning of the submarine cable.

A press statement made available to ITRealms Online in Lagos last Friday, indicated that the 9500 kilometre (km) state-of-the-art cable will afford Globacom to have a clear distinction in providing quality services through multiple and high quality direct links to various countries across the globe.

“And will enable it to interconnect with several international networks and leading traffic carriers in the world,” Jameel said.

He equally noted that 4,400 kilometres of the undersea cable has already been laid from United Kingdom, through Portugal up to Nouakchott in Mauritania, stressing that cable laying from Nouakchott to Nigeria has started and that the ship-load of cable required to complete the process is already at the high-sea.

Jameel equally said the submarine cable, with a final capacity of 640 Giga bytes, will have landing points in United Kingdom, Portugal , Ghana and Senegal as well as in Lagos and Bonny in Nigeria by February next year.

“Landing points will also be extended among West Africa countries by the fourth quarter of 2009. There will be 18 branching units along the route upon completion of the project,” he said.

Globacom, Jameel noted, embarked on Glo-1 submarine cable project in keeping with its aspirations to avail Africa the possibilities offered by broadband.

“The capacity of Glo-1 will fulfill the present and rapidly increasing high data requirement in the West African region,” Jameel maintained.

Glo-1 is being built by Alcatel submarine networks which is the leading provider of cable infrastructure in the world. It is the first such project embarked by any single organisation in the world.


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