Infinite Path

Earlier this afternoon, the first undersea cable designed to introduce high-speed internet access across East Africa went live in a move which could start to unlock Africa’s potential, according to Head of Search Marketing at Infinite Path Ltd, Charlotte Cook.

Seacom operates the 17,000 km long cable, which connects Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, and Mozambique with Europe and Asia and experts are predicting that the region’s trade prospects will be revolutionised by improved means of communication.

It took two years to lay and, despite experiencing launch delays, should lower costs significantly for businesses. The CEO of Seacom, Brian Herlihy, has been quoted as saying that today “marks the dawn of a new era for communications between the continent and the rest of the world”.

The benefits of the new cable for industry and commerce are undeniable (Barclays is thought to be in the process of revolutionising its IT system in Africa to take full advantage of this new infrastructure) but the positive repercussions for the region’s youth are just as important.

Schools will be able to make use of educational resources of a higher quality on a more frequent basis. Miss Cook believes “reliable access to these tools will be invaluable for securing a better future for Africa’s children and teenagers”.

In the western world, “we have come to take high-speed internet access for granted and many of the online features we have started to use on a daily basis, such as social media sites, have only become dominant points of reference in our culture because they are quick and easy to use”, she added.

The social media potential for Africa is undoubtedly huge; this was evident during Barack Obama’s trip to the continent a few weeks ago. If internet access can become quicker and more reliable, online communities made by Africans for fellow Africans will flourish, which can only be a good thing for the future of the continent.