Telecom Egypt (TE) and the Government of St Helena Island have signed on Monday an agreement to connect the remote Atlantic island to TE's subsea system over the Equiano submarine cable system. Telecom Egypt, the state's fixed-line monopoly, will be the first to provide St Helena with a fibre optic connection to the rest of the world, a crucial step towards the Island's economic growth. Under the agreement, the cable, along with the associated high-speed internet, would be delivered to the island by early 2022. The branch that links Telecom Egypt's system to St Helena Island will be 1,140 km long. The cable itself is set to run from the West Coast of Africa, and to provide St Helena with access to both Lisbon, Portugal, and South Africa's Melkbosstrand with scalable connectivity ranging from a few hundred gigabits up to multiple terabits, as demand varies. It, therefore, would provide the most cost-effective solution to the growth in St Helena Island's bandwidth needs. In light of its vast experience in the subsea connectivity business, Telecom Egypt, in conjunction with the Government of St Helena Island, will provide a Dynamic Circuit Network functionality, which will ensure that SHG's communication partners have access to fixed bandwidth. Telecom Egypt is set to also support the government in the design, installation, and configuration of the submarine and network equipment. "From an operational perspective, this is a key milestone for the Fibre Optic Project, as we now have an association with an international partner of high repute who will ensure that all the necessary technical prerequisites are installed in readiness for the arrival of the Equiano System." Jeremy Roberts, Fibre Optic Project Manager at the Government of St Helena Island, said. The agreement is "part of the initiation of Telecom Egypt's endeavour in Western Africa and is a step forward in Telecom Egypt's plan to expand its services beyond the MENA region and fortify its global presence by providing subsea solutions to global partners." Seif Mounib, TE's VP for International and Wholesale, said. "This solution will enable entities within St Helena to access large capacities that will certainly improve the quality of service and enhance customer experience."
