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Alcatel-Lucent to lay submarine cable between UAE and Kenya

ABU DHABI — Alcatel-Lucent has signed a turnkey contract valuing $79 million for a 4,900 kilometers submarine cable network with the East Africa Marine System Ltd (TEAMS Ltd.) consortium that includes the Government of Kenya and Etisalat.

The TEAMS network will connect the port city of Mombasa in Kenya with the port of Fujairah in the UAE offering the required optical connectivity to bring broadband to all users and positioning Kenya as a new communication hub. Network installation is scheduled by the end of the first quarter 2009.

Designed with an ultimate capacity of 640 Gbit/s, the TEAMS submarine cable network will dramatically increase the regional communication capabilities and support new high-quality broadband services, such as free Internet for schools, and Ethernet-based services to further bolster social and economic development.

"With Alcatel-Lucent‚s cable solution, we will bring down the cost of Internet connectivity and international calls," said Dr. Ndemo, Information Ministry Permanent Secretary of Kenya.

"As an important economic player in East Africa, such high speed communications links will support the business community's investment in outsourcing services, which are becoming increasingly popular in Kenya."

The Chairman of Etisalat Mohd Hassan Omran said: "Technology brings significant and proven benefits to the communities and economies in which it serves. By deploying the first direct connection from East Africa to the world, we are helping to close the digital divide between nations. We believe that this project will have far reaching impact on the continent that will be felt for decades to come."

"This project is a new milestone in the development of the Eastern African communication infrastructures," stated Jean Godeluck, President of Alcatel-Lucent's submarine network activities."