Driving Digital Change
Telecom Egypt’s digital transformation strategy has been in motion for some time, but the pace has accelerated recently, and new projects are underway.
Telecom Egypt is the country’s first integrated telecom operator, and one of the largest international submarine cable providers in the region. Given Egypt’s location at the heart of the world, Telecom Egypt provides the shortest and most reliable connection between the African, Asian, and European markets to its international customers. 13 submarine cables currently land in Egypt, including the company’s fully owned TE North and MENA cables. They are served by 10 submarine cable landing stations in Egypt, which are connected over 10 terrestrial crossing routes distributed across the Red and Mediterranean seas, in addition to a landing station in Italy. The 2Africa and PEACE cable systems are expected to cross Egypt soon, and will also be served by Telecom Egypt’s landing stations. The 2Africa cable, which Telecom Egypt is building in collaboration with key technology players, will be the first of its kind to circumference the African continent.
The company has successfully completed the end-to-end testing and delivery of 2Africa’s Egyptian terrestrial crossing that links the Red and Mediterranean Seas ahead of schedule, making it the first operating segment of the project. It has also invested in a new cable system that will span the Western coast of Africa. On a regional level, Telecom Egypt extended its reach to its neighboring countries, Jordan, Sudan, and Libya.
To offer the international community the best quality and service security, Telecom Egypt established a mesh solution that crosses Egypt over terrestrial routes, reaching Europe and Singapore. This solution ensures a network availability of up to 99.9%, and is very robust as it can reroute traffic, as needed, in less than 50 milliseconds. Such a solution was recently acquired by Google, where Telecom Egypt just finalized a deal to offer the technology giant a first of its kind, layered three meshed solution on multiple redundant crossing routes in Egypt.
In addition to being a favorable international traffic route, Telecom Egypt is developing its capabilities with a vision to become a regional hub. The company currently offers cutting-edge IT solutions to its local and international customers through six data center facilities, and is currently on the verge of completing its seventh. Expected to be commissioned in 2021, it is located at the heart of Egypt’s business center, the Smart Village, and will have access to all the global submarine cable systems that land in Egypt. It will also be the first in the country with the Uptime Institute’s certifications in the design, constructed facility, and operational sustainability categories, and will host the world’s largest internet exchanges to provide an open access platform for all stakeholders in MENA.
Telecom Egypt is currently working on establishing new subsea landing stations and crossing routes, investing in new subsea systems and solutions, and carrying out extensive network revamps. Over the years, the company has been able to extend its reach across continents, and keep up with the growing demand for international data services and hosting facilities. It’s strong infrastructure is at the base of its digital strategy pyramid, with the peak being the company’s ascension to the application layer. With this, Telecom Egypt will be able to contribute to forming a comprehensive digital ecosystem in Egypt and the rest of the region.
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