Center3 Chooses Ciena's 800G Technology for 2Africa Submarine Cable System
By Telecom Talk
August 17, 2023
Center3, a wholly-owned subsidiary of stc Group, has opted for Ciena's 800G technology to power its fibre pairs on the new “2Africa” submarine cable network. Spanning continents and delivering a high-impact solution, the 2Africa cable system, with landing points in Jeddah and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, is set to provide robust, high-capacity connectivity across three continents. According to Center3, this partnership will enhance connectivity across continents and foster economic growth in the MENA region.
2Africa Submarine Cable System
2Africa submarine cable system is an “Open Cable” owned by a consortium of global partners, including center3. The cable system is designed to provide reliable, high-bandwidth connectivity between Saudi Arabia, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The 2Africa submarine cable system is an extensive network that spans 45,000km and connects 33 countries through 46 landing stations. The system is expected to drive strong economic growth in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region.
Ciena's Technology
Center3 has stated that it opted for Ciena's 800G technology, which will enable center3 to provide regional and international digital services, including cloud services and data centre hosting.
Center3 has expressed its ambition to transform Saudi Arabia into a digital hub connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa. The 2Africa cable system is a key step towards this goal. It will make the Kingdom an important data connectivity point and strengthen its position as a regional data centre hub in MENA.
Center3 and Ciena's Partnership
“We chose Ciena for our new submarine network because of its proven technology, unparalleled track record in the submarine networking space, and long history of successful collaboration with stc Group,” said Center3.
As per the joint statement, the implementation of Ciena's GeoMesh Extreme will enable center3 to support the rapid growth of diverse data-intensive applications, including 5G, streaming, content delivery, gaming, and big data analytics, benefiting millions of individuals and businesses.
