SWAKOPMUND — Telecom Namibia has officially activated the Equiano Submarine Cable at a newly inaugurated cable station in Swakopmund, promising significantly enhanced network capabilities. This strategic development is expected to position Namibia as a key player in regional ICT, ready to meet the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) with a projected capacity of 4 Terabytes per second.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the activation of the Equiano cable, alongside the existing West Africa Cable System (WACS), underscores Namibia's commitment to improving regional connectivity. These investments, including collaborations with the Government of Botswana and Bofinet for WACS, are set to bolster international bandwidth for Namibia and its neighboring countries, enhancing bilateral relations and ensuring reliable connectivity.

Mutorwa, who inaugurated the project on behalf of President Nangolo Mbumba, highlighted that the improved connectivity would transform business operations in Namibia, enhance the quality of life for its citizens, and open up new economic opportunities in sectors like agriculture, health, and logistics. Deputy Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises Maureen Hinda echoed these sentiments, stressing the potential for synergies within the ICT sector and beyond to benefit the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region by leveraging combined resources to elevate ICT services.

The Equiano cable project, valued at N.dollars 90 million and undertaken in partnership with Paratus, is part of Telecom Namibia's commitment to infrastructure sharing and aligns with the principles of the Harambee Prosperity Plan. Telecom Namibia CEO Stanley Shanapinda explained that the benefits of this high-capacity connection would extend to end-users across all regions through ongoing projects and network modernization, enhancing the quality of service and providing faster, more reliable connectivity to customers and other carriers in the country.