Facebook Partners With Telecom Egypt to Build Subsea Network "2Africa"

Facebook along with other telecom companies around the world, including Telecom Egypt launched the 2Africa Initiative, which aims to provide internet and connectivity to users around the globe.

This project will bring reliable internet speeds to people in the region, and it will become a pillar for 4G expansion, and in the future of 5G for a larger part of the world.

China Mobile International, Facebook, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC met to announce 2Africa, which aims to connect 23 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe through a network of subsea cables spanning more than 37,000 km, one of the largest projects in the world.

According to a Bloomberg report, the project will cost just under a billion dollars, according to three sources familiar with the project.

The project will seek to connect Europe from the east through Egypt, the Middle East via Saudi Arabia, and 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa.

Upon completion in 2023/24, 2Africa will be the largest cable network serving the African continent and the Middle East region, and will also connect via East Africa with other submarine cables to expand contact with Asia.

Facebook's new cable will operate in 2024

The new system, which will be operational by 2024 will be able to provide better service than all the combined capacity of all existing cable networks connecting Africa. The new network will provide a design capacity of 180 terabytes / second on the main parts of the system.

2Africa has also partnered with Airtel of India to conclude a deal with Telecom Egypt to provide an entirely new crossing linking the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. Alcatel submarine networks from Nokia Oyj have been designated to build the cable.