The demand for broadband connectivity is accelerating across Africa. In Mauritius, the incumbent operator Mauritius Telecom is investing in strengthening its telecom infrastructure to better meet demand. 

The telecommunications operator Mauritius Telecom (MT) connects Mauritius to a new fiber optic submarine cable named T3. The first end of the new infrastructure was installed on Friday, March 24 in a landing station located in Baie-du-Jacotet, in the south of the island. The other end will land later this year at Amanzimtoti in Kwazulu-Natal Province, South Africa.

The T3 cable is 3,200 km long and has a capacity of 18 terabits per second, guaranteeing Mauritius Telecom a more reliable, robust and redundant network. Its commissioning is scheduled for the end of 2023 and its service life is estimated at 25 years.

T3 is the third fiber optic submarine cable connected to Mauritius Telecom with SAFE (South Africa Far East) and LION (Lower Indian Ocean Network) commissioned in 2002 and 2009 respectively. It is actually a partial resumption of the IOX submarine cable project which was to link Mauritius to South Africa and India. First announced in 2017, it was discontinued in 2019.

This investment is part of Mauritius Telecom’s desire to diversify its digital routes and secure its access to information highways. This is necessary in a context marked by the rapid growth in demand for high-speed connectivity, the acceleration of digital transformation. We are also witnessing the rapid adoption of new modes of digital consumption resulting in particular from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“  The benefits are therefore positive for the development and economic activities of the country: Mauritian companies, “smart cities” and cloud computing among others, can be reassured of the continuity of their activities. For consumers, this third cable will bring more capacity and also very high speed Internet and gaming  ,” said Mauritius Telecom.

Source: Agence ECofin