Intelligent Data Centres Issue 47 | Page 60

Teraco announces regional interconnection with Google Equiano cable

Teraco , one of Africa ’ s largest providers of interconnected data centre platforms , is now an integral connectivity and interconnection point for Google ’ s Equiano subsea cable .

Equiano starts in Europe and runs along the West Coast of Africa , between Lisbon in Portugal and Cape Town in South Africa , with branching units along the way that can be used to extend connectivity to additional African countries .
Named after Olaudah Equiano , a Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist who was enslaved as a boy , the Equiano cable is state-of-the-art infrastructure based on space-division multiplexing ( SDM ) technology , with approximately 20 times more network capacity than the last cable built to serve this region .
Equiano lands in Melkbosstrand , north of Cape Town and is backhauled via Equiano landing partners including Liquid Telecoms , Telkom ’ s Openserve and WIOCC to Teraco ’ s data centre campus
THE CABLE BRINGS CONNECTIVITY ACROSS REGIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY HARD TO REACH .
in Cape Town . Teraco ’ s CT1 and CT2 are strategic interconnection hubs on the African subsea cable map with access to Equiano and the cable systems of SAT3 / SAFE , ACE and WACS that are already accessible from the facility .
CT1 and CT2 are connected to the JB1 Campus in Isando , Johannesburg , through a wide choice of carriers via diverse regional fibre routes . Equiano will enable clients to increase the number of partners they connect to and expand their reach into new markets . Teraco ’ s Cape Town facilities offers clients secure colocation and interconnection services and the ability to leverage Teraco ’ s digital hubs in Cape Town and Johannesburg directly .
“ Equiano , which will be available from all Teraco data centre facilities , is a significant addition to Platform Teraco ’ s existing ecosystem of over 300 networks , 130 IT service providers , 50 global content providers and the key global cloud providers ,” said Michele McCann , Head of Platforms at Teraco .
The availability of a new cable servicing the west coast of Africa and branching into previously unserved countries , broadens the addressable market for digital services providers . It adds new resilience to existing African cable infrastructure and provides telecoms organisations , multinationals and enterprises with additional capacities to empower their digital strategies .
“ The cable brings connectivity across regions that were previously hard to reach . Through Teraco , access to this cable is an interconnect away . In keeping with our tagline ‘ The world connects here ’, we are proud to play a role in accessing this cable system ,” said McCann . intelligent INFRASTRUCTURE
Peering at Africa ’ s largest Internet exchange , NAPAfrica is now also possible for many west African countries and brings benefits such as reduced latency , network fault tolerance , reliable traffic exchange , increased routing control and improved network performance .
Equiano will address the need for more cost-effective bandwidth at the lowest latency , further enabling intercontinental connectivity and the growth of Africa ’ s access to and participation in the digital economy . Teraco makes it easy and accessible for enterprises to connect within the data centre and immediately see the benefits . �
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