TMCnet News

Safaricom Expands East African Connectivity via Etisalat's SmartHub [Emirates News Agency (WAM) (United Arab Emirates)]
[March 02, 2014]

Safaricom Expands East African Connectivity via Etisalat's SmartHub [Emirates News Agency (WAM) (United Arab Emirates)]


(Emirates News Agency (WAM) (United Arab Emirates) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Abu Dhabi, 2nd March 2014 (WAM) Etisalat, one of the leading telecom operators in the Middle East and Africa, today announced that Safaricom Kenya s largest telecommunications operator will join the SmartHub network to expand its world class global multi-services network. Safaricom will use the East Africa Marine System (TEAMS), a 5,000-km fibre-optic undersea cable linking Kenya's Mombasa with Etisalat s SmartHub in Fujairah, which is the capacity and content hub in the UAE. Ali Amiri, Executive Vice President, Carrier & Wholesale, Etisalat said: "Today s announcement reiterates the importance of the UAE and Etisalat as the hub for East Africa internet connectivity. The East African Marine System (TEAM s) cable is an important part of the SmartHub network, providing high speed connectivity for East Africa. "We are delighted that Safaricom, is using the integrated capabilities of the Etisalat SmartHub and East African Marine System (TEAM s). We both believe that the development goals of Africa must be supported by greater internet connectivity and joining our SmartHub community is a major step forward." Bob Collymore, Safaricom CEO, said: "The growth of broadband in East Africa is directly related to the recent undersea cable developments. We are delighted to be working with Etisalat to enhance our high quality communication services. Kenya is increasingly the hub for regional telecom services for East Africa and linking of our two hubs is a strategic move that will benefit consumers and corporate customer alike." The East African Marine System (TEAMS) is a 5,000-km fibre-optic undersea cable which links Kenya's coastal town of Mombasa with Fujairah in the UAE. Safaricom will connect to Etisalat s capacity hub and access the content hub within the SmartHub facility.



(c) 2014 Emirates News Agency (WAM) Provided by Syndigate.info, an Albawaba.com company

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]