State-owned operator Telecom Egypt and Sudatel Group, a leading telecommunications service provider in Sudan, have signed a cooperation agreement in the field of international connectivity.
The agreement, signed last week, notes that the two countries plan to make optimal use of the terrestrial optical fibre that connects them, and to develop the latest technologies to support the transport of international traffic. There are also plans to link Sudatel Group's landing station, which is in Port Sudan, to Telecom Egypt's landing stations on the Red Sea.
The main aims of the agreement, according to Adel Hamed, Telecom Egypt's CEO, quoted by Ecofin Agency, are “to exchange experiences and maximize the benefits of the current connection between Egypt and Sudan, and to work towards creating new opportunities for international connectivity via submarine cables with the aim of pushing towards digital transformation in Egypt and the region”.
A number of media outlets point out that Telecom Egypt's aim to work more closely with Sudatel Group is part of the company’s general efforts to develop its broadband connectivity with neighbouring countries and play a key role in the sub-region.
Demand for broadband connectivity is growing quickly across Africa, as it is in many other places, but broadband is still not widely available; Telecom Egypt's ambition is to be an active part of the digital transformation of the continent.
At the same time, Telecom Egypt is said to be looking to expand its internet capabilities with the aim of building future revenue streams from data.
