Alcatel Submarine Networks and IOX Cable Ltd announce contract in force and commencement of work for system connecting Mauritius, Rodrigues, La Reunion, India and South Africa.

Spanning more than 8,850 km, the IOX Cable System will be the first open access cable system in the region and is targeted to be completed in 2019.

Arunachalam Kandasamy, Founder and CEO of IOX Cable Ltd said: “We at IOX are pleased to announce the commencement of work on the IOX Cable System. The contract is in force and the system is targeted to be completed in 2019. This is a significant achievement in making the Indian Ocean islands a key gateway between Asia and Africa with onward connectivity to Europe, Middle East and the Americas. We would like to thank ASN for their strategic support from the early stages of the project and we look forward to delivering an ultra-high speed open access cable system which will significantly enhance the broadband infrastructure of today’s digital economy.”

The IOX Cable System will enhance communication capabilities along the India to South Africa route. Through its strategic partnerships, the IOX Cable System will allow easy connectivity to current and future submarine networks for onwards connectivity to the West Coast of Africa, Middle East, Europe, US and also further into Asia.

The ultra-high speed IOX Cable System will connect Mauritius and Rodrigues to the East Coast of South Africa on one side and the East Coast of India on the other. The system will deliver an ultimate design capacity of over 54 terabits per second and will also reinforce Mauritius as a hub in sub-Saharan Africa.

Philippe Piron, President of Alcatel Submarine Networks said: “We are pleased to support IOX Cable in deploying ultra-fast data transmission to address the growth of digital communications and cloud computing requirements. This submarine network will enable IOX to offer differentiated services, while strengthening service, reliability and redundancy to existing submarine networks. Additionally, it will provide a new alternative path for connecting Asia and Africa and onwards to Europe and the USA.”

Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of IOX Cable Ltd.

ABOUT ALCATEL SUBMARINE NETWORKS

Alcatel Submarine Networks, part of Nokia, leads the industry in terms of capacity and installed base with more than 590,000 km of optical submarine systems deployed worldwide. From traditional telecom to new oil and gas applications, ASN provides every part of a global undersea transmission network, all tailored to the customer’s needs. An extensive service portfolio completes its comprehensive offering for the submarine business, including project management, installation and commissioning and marine operations and maintenance performed by its fleet of seven cable ships.