Through its mission to provide customers with best-in-class connectivity, SEACOM has upgraded its subsea cable system along Africa's East Coast by another 500G to 1.5Tbps. In further support of this upgrade, SEACOM worked alongside open access carrier services provider FibreCo, to light their dark fibre route running from Johannesburg to Durban.

Earlier this month, FibreCo completed its open access dark fibre link along the N3 highway, spanning more than 843km. The installation allows SEACOM to operate their own high-capacity fibre along this route, increasing uptake of their connectivity and cloud services within the region.

"Through this project, we have upgraded the terminating equipment and capacity on our existing route and have installed the latest, most advanced optical network system on the new FibreCo route," explains SEACOM CEO, Byron Clatterbuck.

By adding this new route, SEACOM has significantly improved resiliency on its own international network, and is able to offer fully protected, highly reliable services between major data centres in Johannesburg, Durban and the SEACOM cable station in Mtunzini.

The project also enables SEACOM to futureproof the route for further capacity upgrades in Germiston, Heidelberg, Harrismith and other towns along the N3.

Clatterbuck continues, "By owning and operating a fully resilient fibre-based ring, we hope to continue supporting, and enabling, South African businesses to grow within Africa and beyond."