Doha, February 05 (QNA) - Vodafone Qatar announced that it has launched an international subsea cable station that hosts the largest subsea cable project in the world, contributing to connecting Qatar to the largest subsea cable project in the world.
In a statement on Saturday, the company said that it has signed an a 20 year agreement signed with (STC) Saudi Telecom Company - member of the 2Africa consortium. Under the agreement, Vodafone will build and operate an exclusive subsea cable station, which makes Qatar part of a multi-regional project that will support an ever-growing global digital economy, and opens up a breadth of local and international opportunities.
Commenting on the occasion, HE CEO of Vodafone Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani, said: "We are pleased to be part of this project that will increase the capacity, quality and availability of internet connectivity in Qatar and contribute to the countrys digital transformation. We are currently building the new station for submarine cables, demonstrating the role we play as a strategic gateway to the world and how together we can continue to transform Qatar into a global hub, driven by our robust communications infrastructure. Through global subsea networks, Qatar is connected to the global digital economy which enables continued growth in our market via trade and investment, as well as an increase in the local and international business activity." The newly expanded system will serve an even wider range of communities that rely on the internet for consumer services and business purposes, and provide the vast range of economic and social benefits that come from increased connectivity.
The project serves the African continent and Middle East region, providing international connectivity to nearly 3 billion people representing 36% of the global population.
The new segment of the network - named the 2Africa PEARLS branch - extends to the Arabian Gulf, India and Pakistan. This extension brings the total length of the 2Africa cable system to over 45,000 kilometers in length.
Submarine cable systems connect continents and make fast digital data transfer possible, using optical fibre technologies which are more reliable and can deliver far greater data capacity than satellites.
Vodafone Qatar is a Qatari public shareholding company started its business in 2009, with a capital of 4.277 billion riyals. (QNA)