Landing station for Google’s Equiano subsea internet cable now ready in Namibia
The landing station at Swakopmund for the Google-funded Equiano subsea cable is now ready to accommodate the cable, which is due to land in the second quarter of 2022.
Paratus, which is the construction and managing partner of the landing station in Namibia, this week announced that the internal fit, including power, cabling cabinets, conduits, raceways, cages, and security have been complemented in January 2022, following the completion of the station in June 2021.
The Equiano subsea internet cable will run from Portugal to South Africa, along Africa’s Atlantic Ocean coastline. In 2022, it is expected to land in Lagos (Nigeria), Cape Town (South Africa) and Swakopmund, with branching units in place for further phases of the project. It improves the resiliency of Google’s content and services between Europe and Africa.
The Paratus contract included the building to house the termination of the cable from the ocean to the landing station where it is connected to the network equipment that lights up the fibre so that it may carry data. The cable’s landing station is also a meeting point for other operators and customers to collect and distribute their capacity.
Paratus Namibia managing director, Andrew Hall said this cable provides a massive 20 times more network capacity than the previous cable. Hall added that importantly, it provides an alternative service to Namibia and the rest of SADC, which in turn enhances redundancy to ensure network stability and vastly improved uptime.
“This is great news for both businesses and consumers across the region and represents just one intervention in our overall growth strategy to provide quality connectivity services to Africa, unlimiting the potential of business and individuals on the continent,” Hall said.
