DECEMBER 11, 2007 -- Alcatel-Lucent (search for Alcatel-Lucent) today announced the signing of a turnkey contract for a 4,900-km submarine cable network with The East Africa Marine System Ltd (TEAMS Ltd.) consortium-- including the Government of Kenya and Etisalat (Emirates Telecom Corporation) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The TEAMS network will connect the port city of Mombasa in Kenya with the port of Fujairah in the UAE, offering the required optical connectivity to bring broadband to all users and positioning Kenya as a new communication hub. Network installation is scheduled by the end of the first quarter 2009.
Designed with an ultimate capacity of 640 Gbits/sec, the TEAMS submarine cable network will dramatically increase the regional communication capabilities and support new high-quality broadband services, such as free Internet for schools and Ethernet-based services to further bolster social and economic development, say TEAMS representatives.
"With Alcatel-Lucent's cable solution, we will bring down the cost of Internet connectivity and international calls," contends Dr. Ndemo, Information Ministry Permanent Secretary of Kenya. "As an important economic player in East Africa, such high-speed communications links will support the business community's investment in outsourcing services, which are becoming increasingly popular in Kenya."
"Technology brings significant and proven benefits to the communities and economies in which it serves,"adds Mohd Hassan Omran, chairman of Etisalat. "By deploying the first direct connection from East Africa to the world, we are helping to close the digital divide between nations. We believe that this project will have a far reaching impact on the continent that will be felt for decades to come."
The Alcatel-Lucent managed system will be based on the 1620 Light Manager next-generation DWDM submarine platform and will also include cable and submarine repeaters. As part of the turnkey contract, Alcatel-Lucent will also deploy its 1678 Metro Core Connect (MCC) in the landing stations located in Mombasa and Fujairah. The Alcatel-Lucent 1350 management system will supervise all the equipment supplied. The company says a comprehensive suite of professional services, including project management, engineering, marine operation, and installation testing and commissioning, will be also part of this turnkey project.
"This project is a new milestone in the development of the Eastern African communication infrastructures," notes Jean Godeluck, president of Alcatel-Lucent's submarine network activities. "Our submarine solutions offer the flexibly and reliability our customers demand to support the cost-effective delivery of innovative services. This contract is another significant demonstration of our strong leadership in submarine network solutions."
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