Expanding Internet Usage In Africa Will Fuel Telecommunications Annual Growth Rates; Africa ONE Will Meet Exponential Demand

Business Wire, Feb 1, 2000

Business Editors/Telecommunications Writers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 1, 2000

During the next decade, Africa's telecommunications will experience phenomenal growth as Internet use becomes as common there as it is in Asia and Latin America, according to a recent market demand study.

Conducted by T. Soja &Associates (TSA), an independent telecommunications forecasting and consulting company, the study predicts annual growth rates will soon exceed 100 percent. Africa ONE, a 32,000-kilometer, undersea, fiber-optic cable system, will be ready for service in 2002 just as this extraordinary growth hits the market.

The system will form a self-healing ring around the African continent to link the countries of Africa to one another and the global telecommunications network.

The TSA study estimates that the growth in data traffic between Africa and the rest of the world will nearly double this year and then again next year before spiking to significantly higher levels in 2002 to 2003. This growth will continue to more than double in years 2004 and 2005, transforming Africa's telecommunications networks and securing the continent's place in the global information superhighway.

&uot;The amazing expansion expected in the next few years will make Africa the newest telecommunications growth market,&uot; said Patricia A. Bagnell, Executive Vice President, Africa ONE, adding that this growth pattern parallels the recent experiences in Asia and Latin America.

&uot;In the last year alone, Internet hosts in Africa have doubled and tripled in countries such as Namibia, Senegal and Mozambique. With so many new Internet service providers and carriers, Africa's telecommunications requirements will demand the type of interconnectivity, reliability and security offered by Africa ONE.

&uot;With immediate restoration capabilities, more extensive connectivity and higher capacity for growth, Africa ONE will provide something the continent of Africa has never had: reliable telecommunications with fiber optic technology in every region,&uot; Bagnell added.

Africa ONE, a private company with offices in Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Paris and Nairobi, will provide state-of-the-art technology to ensure that Africa's telecommunications will be reliable, secure and affordable so that the region will fully participate in the economic boom generated by e-commerce, teleconferencing and e-mail.

Compared with other existing and proposed undersea cable systems for Africa, Africa ONE will offer more extensive connections with the rest of the world, higher capacity for growth, instantaneous self-restoration and lower cost per unit capacity.

Africa ONE has established relationships with two world leaders in the telecommunications industry -- Global Crossing, Ltd. and Lucent Technologies -- to guarantee the highest quality connectivity and equipment for Africa's newest telecommunications network. Global Crossing will manage the installation, operation and maintenance of the Africa ONE network.

In addition, the system will be connected to Global Crossing's worldwide network, directly linking Africa to 25 countries and more than 200 cities around the world. At the same time, Lucent Technologies has been named the preferred provider of equipment and software for the Africa ONE network and will provide technical support and project resources.