Madagascar connected to EASSy fiber optic cable

The Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System is supposed to enable the transfer of data at speeds 40 times faster than a dial-up connection.

Telma said it has already put in place a national backbone that will enable it to link users to the cable.

Once users have access to the cable, the island should be able to develop outsourcing activities such as call centres, Telma said.

Twenty-seven operators from 22 countries, both on Africa's eastern coast and their landlocked neighbours, have joined together in the EASSy project worth some 260 million dollars (190 million euros) overall.

Madagascar was already connected last year by telecoms operator Orange to the submarine Lion cable, which linked it to two other Indian Ocean islands, Reunion and Mauritius.

(c) 2010 AFP