Africa-1 cable touches down in Karachi

KARACHI: The Africa-1 submarine cable is scheduled to land at PTCL’s Sea View landing station in Karachi today (Saturday, February 22); this is being seen as a significant step towards enhancing internet connectivity in Pakistan.

Announcing this development in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) on Friday, PTCL said: “The groundbreaking celebration for connecting to the high-capacity Africa-1 submarine cable is set for February 22, 2025, at Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited’s (PTCL) landing site at Sea View, Karachi. This marks a transformative milestone in advancing Pakistan’s digital connectivity".

PTCL has also revealed that in November 2020, its Board of Directors approved an investment of $59.5 million for the Africa-1 submarine cable initiative. “This project aims to establish connectivity between the UAE, Europe, and Africa, with multiple landing stations along the route", the notice added.

PTCL has disclosed that it began investing in the project as part of its capital expenditure (CAPEX) starting in 2021 while noting that “By 2025, approximately 75% of the total investment will have been completed over four years, with the expectation of reaching the full project cost within the year".

According to PTCL, the project is expected to be Ready for Service (RFS) by the first quarter of 2026. Once operational, the Africa-1 submarine cable will enable PTCL to generate revenue from the project, contributing positively to the company’s top-line growth.

All this comes amidst frequent internet disruptions in the country. Last month, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Major General (r) Hafeez Ur Rehman informed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information Technology & Telecommunication that four new submarine cables were being introduced to enhance the country’s internet performance.