A submarine map of the coasts of world continents reveals a web of high bandwidth fibre-optic cable systems that serve the purpose of connecting the world via high speed internet and telecommunication services. The same map reveals that the east African coast, from Sudan all the way to South Africa, is among the few areas not already connected with what is called the international fibre-optic network.
The rest of African nations already have better and less expensive access to the internet than their eastern African counterparts. The western coast of Africa already has functional the SAT3 line, a high capacity optic fibre, running from Morocco to South Africa. Similarly, a cable has been laid along the entire North African coast up to the Red Sea.
Given the poor economic situation of most countries in the east African region, building a fibre optic cable system that connects these countries together and to the world is expected to help improve their ailing economies.
The cable should lower the cost of international connectivity for many African operators and provide faster bandwidth than most African consumers can currently afford. Speeds double those currently available at costs of one-tenth the satellite connection costs are some of the direct benefits expected from the project. It will also help raise the Internet penetration rate in an area that currently has the lowest rate in the world.
If it was only as simple as making a decision to build this cable system, it would have been completed years ago. However, unfortunately, building the East African Submarine System, also known as EASSy, is not so easy. There are so many decisions that are needed and quite a few hurdles to iron out before construction can start on this important mega-project.
The high number of stakeholders in this project, between clients, end users, sponsors, and governments, is complicating the decision-making process which makes the issues faced by the project even more difficult to resolve.
One of these issues is the model to be used in the financing and ownership of the cable system. Some stakeholders are favouring what is called an Open Access model, whereby even non-investors in the system can access it at rates comparable to those paid by investors in the system. Other EASSy stakeholders prefer a consortium to own and control access to the marine cable by charging non-investors a cost-plus-premium fee to access the system. There are models of both in the world and the jury is still out on which system to use.
The EASSy project will lay 8840km-long fibre-optic cable from Mtunzini in South Africa to Port Sudan in Sudan, with landing points in six countries, and connections to at least five "landlocked" countries. Landlocked countries are those who do not have a coastline to allow them direct access to the cable system, and have to get rights of way from neighbouring coast countries to access the system.
The EASSy project is endorsed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank. The latest consortium of stakeholders included participation from the European Bank as well as telecommunication companies in the region the project will serve. Even with the pledged financial support from banks and governments, the funding for the project has yet to be completely resolved.
The project was initiated in January 2003, when a handful of companies investigated its feasibility. The preliminary feasibility study put the cost estimates for the system at $200 million, $30 million of which was allocated to project management.
The cable system project is already behind schedule, and some forecast a launch date of no earlier than the end of 2007.
Some countries participating in this project have become so impatient with the procrastination and continuous delays that at one point said they are reconsidering the project and are looking another cable system which would connect Mombassa to Djibouti.
By Ammar W. Mango
© Jordan Times 2006
