Google claims that its new Equiano subsea cable will increase South Africa's internet speed three-fold

[mylesillidge]

Google claims new cable will triple South Africa's Internet speeds

At its first-ever Google for Africa event, the search giant claimed that its new Equiano undersea cable would increase Internet speeds in South Africa almost three-fold.

The subsea cable, named Equiano, will run through South Africa, Namibia, Nigeria, and St Helena to connect the continent with Europe.

 

[w1z4rd]

Hope it arrives soon. More pipes is always better.

 

[ToxicBunny]

The cable announcement is sort of neither here nor there really, it adds resiliency at best but won't chance the speeds we can get really....

Whats more interesting is the Plus Codes idea, I do like it at first glance actually.

 

[blaaislaai]

Reduced prices are welcome Wonder how much % saving will be passed onto consumers?

 

[konfab]

The cable announcement is sort of neither here nor there really, it adds resiliency at best but won't chance the speeds we can get really....

Whats more interesting is the Plus Codes idea, I do like it at first glance actually.

I don't really like them.

What do you think is easier to remember?: three words in a language you understand?
https://what3words.com/resounding.disallowed.mediocrity
https://what3words.com/bakhotha.uzozuza.ayisuki
https://what3words.com/erfwette.souttert.kunsvol

Or some random numbers:
https://plus.codes/5G3H93HR+RG

 

[backstreetboy]

I don't really like them.

What do you think is easier to remember?: three words in a language you understand?
https://what3words.com/resounding.disallowed.mediocrity
https://what3words.com/bakhotha.uzozuza.ayisuki
https://what3words.com/erfwette.souttert.kunsvol

Or some random numbers:
https://plus.codes/5G3H93HR+RG

You only need to remember 6 random numbers not to mention it's open source as well unlike W3W...

 

[Lukitz]

Will these cables reduce latency?

 

[Bobbin]

Will these cables reduce latency?

lol. Spot the gamer.

 

[AntennaMan]

Will these cables reduce latency?

No. The speed of light is a constant.

 

[konfab]

You only need to remember 6 random numbers not to mention it's open source as well unlike W3W...

People remember words better than numbers

 

[DA-LION-619]

You only need to remember 6 random numbers not to mention it's open source as well unlike W3W...

Tell me about GPS coordinates without mentioning it

 

[ToxicBunny]

I don't really like them.

What do you think is easier to remember?: three words in a language you understand?
https://what3words.com/resounding.disallowed.mediocrity
https://what3words.com/bakhotha.uzozuza.ayisuki
https://what3words.com/erfwette.souttert.kunsvol

Or some random numbers:
https://plus.codes/5G3H93HR+RG

I don't like W3W to be honest... just feels amateurish in a way.

Telling someone to deliver at "rebutted.tarnished.disproven" brings massive language issues to the fore, whereas delivering to "8JWJ+F4" is considerably less open to language issues creeping in.

 

[konfab]

No. The speed of light is a constant.

Depends what is causing the latency.
If your packet has to wait until there is a space on the connection, then there will be more latency.

However, with the number of cables going out of SA now, there is plenty of space.

 

[AntennaMan]

Depends what is causing the latency.
If your packet has to wait until there is a space on the connection, then there will be more latency.

However, with the number of cables going out of SA now, there is plenty of space.

Yes, but there is still thousands of km's between us and the EU and US. That won't change. This will open an additional road, but ultimately there is a limit to how much international latency can be improved. We won't see sub 100ms latency.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Depends what is causing the latency.
If your packet has to wait until there is a space on the connection, then there will be more latency.

However, with the number of cables going out of SA now, there is plenty of space.

The vast majority of the latency between SA and Europe will be caused by the sheer length of the cable and not by any "packet waiting" or anything like that.

 

[eg2505]

The vast majority of the latency between SA and Europe will be caused by the sheer length of the cable and not by any "packet waiting" or anything like that.

forgive my ignorance on undersea cables, but dont they have repeaters all over to ensure the light source isnt degraded too much?
I mean were taking thousands of KM, and how can light stay the same "brightness" that long?

 

[ToxicBunny]

forgive my ignorance on undersea cables, but dont they have repeaters all over to ensure the light source isnt degraded too much?
I mean were taking thousands of KM, and how can light stay the same "brightness" that long?

Yes they do have repeaters every x distance on the cable, and those repeaters do add latency, but it is miniscule in comparison to the latency caused by the length of the cable.

 

[Vorastra]

Hope it arrives soon. More pipes is always better.

Ready For Service expected H2 2022.

 

[eg2505]

Yes they do have repeaters every x distance on the cable, and those repeaters do add latency, but it is miniscule in comparison to the latency caused by the length of the cable.

so my next question, is it possible to reduce latency over vast distances? or its simply not possible technically?

 

[Groggyme]

so my next question, is it possible to reduce latency over vast distances? or its simply not possible technically?

Not over land with the current cables as far as I can tell. We are limited by the speed of light. With Starlink they are saying there is a chance to reduce latency to anywhere on the planet becasue you dont have to run cables but you still have limitations of speed of light and I doubt we have a lot of demand for low latency to Australia or South America. Nice to have but no huge demand I imagine.