Airtel Africa has activated the first phase of the 2Africa submarine cable connecting Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa.

The 180 TBPS 2Africa cable, boasting a length of 45,000km, previously landed in multiple African countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Democratic Republic of Congo. It has now landed in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, Madagascar, and South Africa, thanks to Alcatel and pan-African telco Airtel Africa that activated this portion of the cable.

“The activation of the 2Africa submarine cable is a monumental step in our mission to bridge the digital divide in Africa. Airtel is proud to launch the first phase of 2Africa,” said Prasanta Das Sarma, CEO of Airtel Telesonic.

Airtel Africa Telesonic was set up to address the growing demand for wholesale data across the continent. Telesonic has an extensive network spanning 75,000 kilometers of terrestrial fiber across Airtel Africa’s 14 markets.

Paul Gabla, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Airtel, commented “This partnership underscores our dedication to continuing the fast delivery of world-class SLTE (submarine line terminal equipment) technological solutions. This important milestone highlights the strength of collaboration and innovation in bringing advanced connectivity solutions to Africa through our partnership with Airtel.”

The 2Africa subsea cable is one of the most robust cable systems to serve Africa and the Middle East, and comprises a consortium including Bayobab, stc, Center3, China Mobile International, Meta, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone, and WIOCC.