{"id":43754,"date":"2013-08-07T10:00:05","date_gmt":"2013-08-07T08:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=43754"},"modified":"2013-08-07T23:47:36","modified_gmt":"2013-08-07T21:47:36","slug":"r1-3-billion-sa-subsea-cable-on-hold","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/broadband\/43754\/r1-3-billion-sa-subsea-cable-on-hold\/","title":{"rendered":"R1.3 billion SA subsea cable update"},"content":{"rendered":"

Telecoms infrastructure provider Techteledata<\/a> says it has not yet secured the\u00a0required backing to build an undersea cable from Mtunzini to Cape Town.<\/p>\n

The project was due to launch in July.<\/p>\n

Musa Phungula<\/a>, Techteledata managing director and founder,\u00a0aims to build a new domestic submarine cable system and large, open access data centres in South Africa while also\u00a0connecting East London and Port Elizabeth in the process.<\/p>\n

Benefits of TTD would see a\u00a0connection between East and West African countries without the need to go via Europe and Egypt.<\/p>\n

Techteledata also aims to build\u00a0500 square metre datacentres in each of the four landing points integrated with Cable Landing Stations (CLS), with the total cost of the project estimated at\u00a0R1.3 billion.<\/p>\n

Outlining the project timeline,\u00a0Phungula said that the\u00a0company\u00a0is currently still at contract negotiations with bidding suppliers – three of the major suppliers in undersea communications.<\/p>\n

“We are attending the Submarine networks in Singapore (September 10-12), where we are sponsoring the Cable owners\u2019 Jam Session,” he said.<\/p>\n

“This will set the tone for our project launch back in South Africa at a date yet to be announced, but before the end of the year 2013,”\u00a0Phungula \u00a0said.<\/p>\n

The compnay hopes to have contract activation with a turnkey contract supplier in September\/October 2013, with project implementation to commence in October\/November 2013, starting with permitting.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0company\u00a0lead hopes to have the cable ready for commercial services in December 2014, latest September 2015.<\/p>\n

Additional services:<\/p>\n