In a significant leap for Pakistan’s telecommunications sector, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has begun installing the Pre-Lay Shore End (PLSE) of the 2Africa submarine cable. The first phase of the project, which started on December 1, 2024, saw the cable land at Hawkes Bay, Karachi. The second phase, involving deep-sea cable laying, will commence on April 1, 2025, with the system expected to be operational by late 2025.
The 2Africa submarine cable is a massive international project designed to enhance global connectivity. The cable, spanning 45,000 kilometers, will be the largest subsea cable in the world upon completion. It links 46 cable landing stations across 33 countries, including Pakistan, interconnecting Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
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Notably, the 2Africa system is one of the first to utilize cutting-edge spatial division multiplexing (SDM1) technology, providing an impressive design capacity of 180 Tbps across 16 fiber pairs. This technology will significantly increase data transmission capacity, supporting the growing demand for high-speed internet.
A global consortium of eight partners, including Meta and Vodafone, is spearheading the project. The 2Africa cable will greatly improve Pakistan’s international telecommunication capabilities, enhancing data transmission speeds and overall connectivity infrastructure.
