Fiber optic network to connect Cape Town,Cairo

CAIRO, JULY 24 (SEE) The Econet Group and Telecom Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the 2018 Annual Meetings of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) enabling the South African based company to complete a terrestrial fiber optic network, which runs from Cape Town to Cairo.

Liquid Telecom, a subsidiary of Econet Wireless Global, is building a fiber optic network in the southern African continent that runs in Botswana, Congo, Lesotho, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as well as Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.

Econet founder and CEO Strive Masiyiwa said "Completing our vision of building a single network connecting African countries from Cape Town to Cairo is a historic moment for the company."

Telecom Egypt said in a statement "Under the MoU, Liquid Telecom will link its network from Sudan into Telecom Egypt’s network via a new cross-border interconnection – bringing together a 60,000km network that runs from Cape Town up until Cairo."

The two companies did not disclose a timeframe to complete the network or any cost estimates.

Telecom Egypt is the first telecom operator in Egypt, recording a $1.1 billion revenues in 2017.