SEACOM and Neotel
offer TENET international bandwidth at several hundred times
cheaper than current prices
SEACOM, the developer of a private submarine fibre optic cable
and Neotel, South Africa's new national operator announced today
that they have jointly offered TENET discounted pricing of international
bandwidth from South Africa to Europe. Through TENET, SA universities
and research institutions will be able to access 10Gbs of the
SEACOM international bandwidth capacity in Johannesburg via
the NEOTEL national network. Additionally, an option has been
granted for an additional 10Gbs of SEACOM's international bandwidth
capacity for TENET to make available to other Southern and East
African Research and Education Networks through the UbuntuNet
Alliance. Cost based pricing was made available which equates
to R30 per megabit per month, which is several hundred times
cheaper than today's cost of international bandwidth in South
Africa. In the proposal, SEACOM would provide international
connectivity from Europe to Mtunzini and Neotel would provide
national connectivity from Mtunzini to Johannesburg for distribution
to academic institutions around the country.
SEACOM recently announced the start of its marine survey
and the signing of a construction agreement for the 13,000
km project which involves the construction of the undersea
fiber optic network providing high capacity bandwidth connectivity
between South Africa, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya,
India, the Middle East and Europe.
SEACOM and Neotel recently announced agreement of commercial
terms for the partnership of landing the SEA Cable System
in South Africa. Through the partnership, Neotel will own
the cable landing station and all facilities within the South
African territory. The terms of the agreement ensure that
the operation of the cable will meet current and future regulations,
in line with the Electronic Communications Act of 2006. Neotel
will operate the facilities on an open access basis; Neotel
and SEACOM believe that such a policy will stimulate the South
African international bandwidth market and make available
affordable bandwidth to South African customers.
"We see this as an opportunity for us to make a small
but significant change to the face of education in Africa,"
explains Brian Herlihy, President, SEACOM, Ltd. "SEACOM
hopes that our actions signal our intention to meet the policy
objectives of African Governments and NEPAD. While our commercial
pricing will deliver affordable infrastructure for the growth
of the information and communication technology (ICT) sector,
in particular business process outsourcing, and call centers,
we have made this special concession to ensure growth of research
industries and education networks thereby fostering the growth
of the knowledge economy. This exceptional offer to TENET
will enable the universities and research institutions of
South Africa, as well as those of other countries of eastern
and southern Africa, to participate in the global research
and education networking community on a scale that is totally
impossible today."
"Neotel recognises the key role of telecommunications
in the development of research and academic institutions that
provide South Africa with the required skills for economic
growth," says Mr. Ajay Pandey, MD, Neotel. "The
collaboration between Neotel and SEACOM will provide countless
more benefits to the South African economy."
About SEACOM
SEACOM intends to construct, finance own and operate a
submarine fibre optic cable ("SEA Cable") that will
connect South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania and
Kenya to India and Italy, where other international cables
currently exist. The SEA Cable will be constructed with private
funding and is positioning itself to be a seller of international
bandwidth to the African carriers at wholesale prices. The
SEA Cable intends to be a compliment to the African carriers
that offers PoP to PoP solutions for connectivity in Europe
and Asia. Each landing station and collocation center attached
to the SEA Cable will be operated on an open access principle
to ensure compliance with appropriate legislation and act
as a catalyst to the East and South African communication
markets. The SEA Cable intends to be operational by the first
quarter of 2009.
About Neotel
Neotel is the first national infrastructure-based competitor
in the fixed line telecoms sector in South Africa. The company
aims to reduce the cost of doing business by enhancing the
operational efficiencies of companies through the optimal
use of advanced communications technologies, and to extend
these benefits into the new economy. Much has changed in the
telecoms market in recent months, in South Africa as well
as globally. Recognising the changing requirements of telecoms
users in South Africa, Neotel is building itself to be a preferred
provider of leading-edge telecommunications, well beyond the
traditional concept of a fixed line operator. Its various
telecom licences, including the PSTS Licence issued to Neotel
as the new national operator of South Africa, allow the company
to provide the entire range of telecoms services with the
exception of full mobility.
About TENET
Tenet is a not-for-profit entity that runs a national
research and education network on behalf of 40-odd research
and educational institutions in SA and surrounds. It is responsible
for securing connectivity and associated services for the
institutions it serves, and which control it. These institutions
include all 23 of SA's public universities and most of the
public research councils.
About UbuntuNet
The UbuntuNet Alliance for Research and Education Networking
is a not-for-profit association of National Research and Education
Networks (NRENs) in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its purpose is to
develop and promote high-bandwidth connectivity between its
member NRENs as well to provide them high-bandwidth connectivity
with other research and education networks and the Internet
world-wide. TENET is a founding member of the Alliance.
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