all these cable systems not only allows for significant ongoing capacity upgrades, but also promises to boost design capacity even further in the coming years with further developments in optical technologies. Clearly the existing submarine cable systems are more than capable of absorbing significant future increases in traffic, whilst the relatively low cost of upgrading them will ensure future competitiveness and lower prices. Regional and local investment key to connecting the unconnected Until quite recently, the international connectivity landed on the coast by submarine cables was only available to a limited set of consumers, mostly in the major cities - accessible via national terrestrial backbones and in some metropolitan area networks, such as in Johannesburg, Nairobi, etc.
For local operators and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to be able to deliver the reliable, affordable, high-capacity international connectivity needed to serve an increasing percentage of the continent’s population, continued investment in ICT infrastructure is crucial.
This investment is needed to further expand terrestrial networks, to construct more metropolitan area networks, Data Centres and carrier Points of Presence (PoPs), and to enhance lastmile connectivity. A key organization behind this growth is Africa’s
carriers’ carrier WIOCC, which has invested heavily in the region to support its customers and telco shareholders — organizations such as BoFinet in Botswana, TDM in Mozambique, TelOne in Zimbabwe and the LCA in Lesotho. WIOCC