The EASSy Cable is an undersea fibre optic cable system linking some 13 African countries namely South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia. At the moment of the 54 African countries and islands only 19 of them are linked to the rest of the world by way of optical fibre submarine cables and broadband backhaul links. These 19 countries are Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Angola, South Africa, Mauritius, Djibouti, Sudan, Cape Verde, Namibia and Libya. The rest of Africa despite its immense potentials remains the world’s backwater as regards telecommunications.

The EASSy project, which is estimated to cost between US$150 – US$200 million, will be the last link to circle Africa by high capacity optic fibre telecommunications network. The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) E-Commission has listed the EASSy Cable project as a top priority, in its agenda.

“A top priority NEPAD objective is to ensure that all African countries are connected to each other through a broadband fibre optic cable network that will in turn link them to the rest of the world. To achieve this objective we shall endeavour to close the submarine optical fibre loop around the African continent; connect all land locked countries to submarine cable heads; establish an integrated, robust continent wide network of broadband systems.” Dr Henry Chasia, the Executive Chairperson of NEPAD’s E-Commission says.

Should the EASSy Cable come into fruition as envisaged, it will not only help integrate some 25 African countries but it will also avoid the routing of phone connections through Europe and other places thus ensuring calling costs tumble in the region. Other than this there are other reasons justifying the EASSy Cable. These include; the scarcity of international connectivity which is often expensive and unreliable; switching of intra African traffic through Europe and other foreign carriers is extremely costly and the overall changing climate of telecommunications worldwide.

This submarine cable system will connect Mtunzini (near Durban) South Africa and Port Sudan in Sudan. The distance covered by the cable is 9900km. In between this 9,900kms will be some eight landing stations in Maputo (Mozambique), Toliary (Madagascar), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Zanzibar (Tanzania), Mombasa (Kenya), Djibouti (Djibouti), and Massawa (Eritrea). Initial findings of the detailed feasibility studies conducted by Axiom Consultants of France (as from November last year) indicate that the project is viable. Their interim report released a fortnight ago reveals that EASSy is a worthy and practical undertaking. As such a data-gathering meeting has been slated for South Africa this June.

In Kenya work to tie the hinterland to EASSy has also kicked off in earnest. The East African Digital Transmission System (EADTS) will join Mombasa to Malaba through Nairobi with spurs in major towns in the country. The contract for Phase 1 from Nairobi to Mombasa has already been awarded and work has also began. Telkom Kenya and the Kenya Power and Lighting (KPLC) will work on Phase 2. The EADTS is expected to be completed ahead of the EASSy system, as it is one of the critical regional backhaul links upon which EASSy will heavily rely on. Rwanda and Uganda are working on their links to hook up to Kenya.

Already the laying of a fibre optic cable in Nairobi, which has been going on for sometime, is now approaching completion. The contract worth some $20 million was awarded to the Kenya Data Networks (KDN) a subsidiary of Sameer Investments Group is expected to be complete in May, when the entire Nairobi will be ringed.
“We are laying the cable in readiness for connecting with the marine cable when it reaches Mombasa.” Naushad Merali, the CEO of Sameer says.
In other words, the EASSy Cable is an added value and a lifeline of great importance when it comes to affordability and tariff charges.

EASSy is robust, economically viable and will give all the countries that are investing in it substantial returns whilst enjoining the citizenry of all these countries to the vast opportunities offered by ICTs. Charles Gasana, Rwanda’s Executive Secretary to NEPAD intimates: “We shall be able to carry bulk data at a go, email will be faster and cheaper, but above all we shall cut on general communication costs.”

Internet, voice and video amongst other communications services are offered in fibre optic cables. Optical cables have far greater advantages than copper wire. The term ‘fibre optics’ can simply be defined as a medium of a technology that is associated with the transmission of information as light impulses along fibre or glass wire. The advantages that fibre optics has over copper wire are legion. To begin with it carries more information and has greater fidelity. It is much smaller in size, lighter in weight, easy to install, monitor and handle and secure of tapping. It also does not corrode, is resistant to most chemical reactions and covers large distances making it perfect for digital data transmission.

Fibre optics are cheaper to maintain, and encounters less losses in signal. Again they only require low-powered transmitters, can be installed anywhere and are cheaper! All these are advantages that East Africans stand to gain once EASSy becomes operational.

Indeed the EASSy cable will reduce the digital divide, stimulate investment, spur economic growth, enhance reliability in international telecommunications and boost a vibrant knowledge economy in the region. The reason for this is because EASSy will link these unattached countries to the global undersea submarine cable networks and provide the last link that will see Africa becoming completely encircled by high capacity fibre telecommunications network. The other regions of the globe are already linked to such cables. These are SAT-3/WASC which links Southern Europe (Portugal), North Africa, West Africa and South Africa; SAFE bonds South Africa, the Indian sub-continent and Far East; SEA-ME-WE3 on the other hand connects South East Asia, Middle East and Western Europe.

During the recently concluded African WSIS Preparatory Summit in Accra, Kenya’s Peter Kenduiywo of Telkom Kenya (which serves as the EASSy Secretariat) asserted before the continental gathering:

“EASSy will result in competitive prices from international connectivity. The objectives support the ultimate goals of reducing poverty, stimulating economic opportunity for the citizens of the regions and in the efforts to facilitate the attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). EASSy promises a new era of better quality services at reduced operational costs and user charges.”
With all these in place, the verdict is simple. Implement EASSy, with Godspeed, and educate the general public on what they stand to gain once EASSy becomes functional. In other words, EASSy will make life for East Africans EASSy!

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