Main One Secures Fibre Optic Licences

IN what is yet another boost to its efforts to digitally connect Africa with the rest of the world, Main One Cable Company has secured the pioneer landing licences from Ghana and Nigeria.

The licences, secured from Ghana's National Communications Authority and the Nigerian Communications Commission , grant Main One Cable Company the right to land its intercontinental undersea fibre optic cable in Ghana and Nigeria. 

Main One Cable Company has since begun work on erecting an undersea fibre optic cable from Portugal to Africa.

 The first phase of this project spans 6,900 Kilometres and will extend from Portugal to Ghana and Nigeria with an additional 6,000 Kilometres extension to South Africa and Angola in the second phase.

According to Mr Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer of Main One Cable Company, the development represents a major landmark for the continent, as this is the first time ever that a private sector driven undersea cable network is receiving landing licences. 

This exciting development, Mr Opeke said, sets the stage for Main One to land its undersea fibre optic cable, in both countries, even while negotiations are ongoing with other countries along the coastal route earmarked for the undersea cable.

The unique promise of the Main One undersea cable to boost Internet access across the African continent, stated  Mr Opeke, “lies in the huge improvement in bandwidth which we will be driving even while reducing costs phenomenally”.

In addition to providing a major boost to Internet access on the continent it will help to considerably minimise the difficulties of switching traffic between African countries and eliminate the inconveniences and added costs of first routing traffic to Europe.

Beyond these direct benefits,  Mr  Opeke said, the granting of the pioneer landing licences to Main One Cable Company, represents a major milestone for the continuing growth of telecommunications regulatory capacity on the continent.   From the Business Desk