Summary
- Seacom plans to build a land-based submarine cable linking Mombasa, Kenya, to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Submarine cable technology does not require continuous electricity, making it easier to install in remote areas.
- The project is still on paper and will need to deal with challenges such as rugged terrain, political instability and high logistical costs.
The telecommunications operator Seacom, based in Mauritius, is evaluating the feasibility of a curious project: building a “submarine” cable that does not pass through the seabed, but through the interior of the African continent.
The idea would be to connect the port of Mombasa, in Kenya, to the small stretch of Atlantic coast in the Democratic Republic of Congo, creating the first direct connection between the east and west coasts of Africa.
To the The RegisterSeacom senior broadcast engineer Nic Breytenbach agreed that the plan may sound contradictory. Still, he stated that submarine cables run along the east and west coasts of Africa, but that no single connection crosses the continent.
Why build a “submarine cable” on land?
The technology used in submarine cables has the advantage of not requiring continuous sources of electricity along the entire route, thanks to the optical amplifiers used in this type of infrastructure — which would facilitate installation even in remote areas.
The main obstacle would be the rugged terrain and political instability in several countries along the route, factors that make both the construction and maintenance of conventional cables difficult.
Furthermore, Seacom believes that such a cable would be less vulnerable to theft. Terrestrial cables are frequent targets of attack due to their copper content, but underwater optical cables use aluminum to conduct electrical current, which may reduce the interest of thieves. Breytenbach explained that the cables do not contain copper and therefore have no commercial value to anyone trying to steal them.
Is it really viable?
Breytenbach remains optimistic. He cites as an example the existence of a submarine cable installed in Lake Tanganyika, as well as reinforced equipment sold by Nokia that can be used in extreme environments.
In addition to diplomatic negotiations to secure the route, other obstacles would be the high logistical costs and the difficulty of transporting the cable, as the ships used for maritime installation can carry hundreds of kilometers of material — something difficult to reproduce on land. “To be honest, we are just exploring this at this point,” admitted the engineer.
While the project remains under analysis, Seacom is focusing its efforts on Seacom 2.0, a new international cable that will connect Africa to Europe, India and Singapore, passing through the Red Sea — a region that has suffered interruptions due to cable cuts.
The problems in the Red Sea would be one of the reasons why Seacom is evaluating the possibility of a submarine cable crossing Africa. “There are some significant challenges,” the operator representative said. “But we really believe it is viable.”
Source: https://tecnoblog.net/noticias/operadora-quer-construir-cabo-submarino-em-terra-firme/
