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Bharti Airtel to Acquire Submarine Cable from Orascom to Serve Growing Demand for Data Services

Bharti Airtel to Acquire Submarine Cable from Orascom to Serve Growing Demand for Data Services Image Credit: MENA

Bharti Airtel recently announced that its subsidiary Network i2i has entered into a definitive agreement with Orascom Telecom to acquire 100% equity stake in Middle East North Africa Company Submarine Cable Systems (MENA-SCS) that connects India and Europe via the Middle East. MENA-SCS is a 100% subsidiary of Orascom. 

The state-of-the-art submarine optic network which is capable of carrying Multi Tera bits per second of data speeds is live and operational, connecting Mumbai - Oman - Saudi Arabia - Egypt and Italy. It further has the branching options to connect to other countries in Europe, Africa and Middle East via branching options to Cyprus, Greece, Djibouti, Yemen, Iran, Lebanon, Libya and Sudan.

The proposed acquisition of MENA-SCS is aimed at further strengthening Airtel’s global network that currently runs across 225,000 Rkms, covering 50 countries and 5 continents. The additional capacity will enable Airtel to serve the growing demand for data services and enterprise services across its footprint of 18 countries across South Asia and Africa, said the Operator in a statement.

Currently, Airtel’s global network portfolio includes ownership of i2i submarine cable system connecting Chennai to Singapore, consortium ownership of SMW4 submarine cable system connecting Chennai and Mumbai to Singapore and Europe, and new cable system investments like Asia America Gateway (AAG), India Middle East & Western Europe (IMEWE), Unity, EIG (Europe India Gateway) and East Africa Submarine System (EASS). It also has terrestrial express connectivity to neighboring countries including Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh and China.

Ajay Chitkara, Director and CEO - Global Voice & Data Business, Bharti Airtel
With the explosion of data usage in emerging markets, including India and Africa, this asset will provide us a scalable and diverse high capacity highway to serve our customers. In particular, it will provide impetus to India’s emergence as a major regional internet hub serving customers across SAARC region, with seamless global connectivity.

Author

Ray is a news editor at The Fast Mode, bringing with him more than 10 years of experience in the wireless industry.

For tips and feedback, email Ray at ray.sharma(at)thefastmode.com, or reach him on LinkedIn @raysharma10, Facebook @1RaySharma

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