Paratus has confirmed that the cable landing station at Swakopmund for the Equiano subsea cable, as per an agreement signed with Google, is complete and operational.

According to the pan-African network operator, the landing station was completed in June last year. The internal fit - including power, cabling cabinets, conduits, raceways, cages, and security - was completed in January 2022.

The operator said the landing station is now ready to accommodate the cable, which is due to land in the second quarter of 2022.

The Paratus contract included the building to house the termination of the cable from the ocean to the landing station where it is connected to the network equipment that lights up the fibre so that it may carry data. The cable’s landing station is also a meeting point for other operators and customers to collect and distribute their capacity.

The Equiano cable is expected to be ready for service in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Paratus Namibia MD, Andrew Hall said: “This cable provides a massive 20 times more network capacity than the previous cable. It also, importantly, provides an alternative service to Namibia and the rest of SADC, which in turn enhances redundancy to ensure network stability and vastly improved uptime. This is great news for both businesses and consumers across the region and represents just one intervention in our overall growth strategy to provide quality connectivity services to Africa, unlimiting the potential of business and individuals on the continent.”

The additional capacity offered by the Equiano cable, the largest on the African continent, further strengthens the Paratus SADC footprint and European network connection, and supports the operator’s long-term growth strategy.

Smart city fibre deal

In November 2021 Paratus Namibia secured a contract to serve as tech infrastructure partner and roll out fibre connectivity to 11,000 new residents in Ongos Valley, said to be Namibia’s first smart city development.

This after Paratus signed a commercial connectivity agreement with Ongos Connectivity, the culmination of a two-year planning process.

According to a statement released to the media, Paratus has been working on building the infrastructure (the point of presence and backhauls) to provide the necessary fibre connectivity for residents.

As part of the agreement, all Ongos Valley residents will receive 1GB free data per month for the first five years of residence.