FMTech reports that the proposed system, the first stage of which should go live in 2009, will have a design capacity of 3 800 Gbit\/s.<\/p>\n
This new project is backed by 12 African governments and it is expected to be 30% owned by African governments and 70% by the private sector.<\/p>\n
FMTech quotes Henry Chasia, director of the Nepad e-Africa Commission, as saying that \u201cThe design has already been done and contact has been made with manufacturers and cable layers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are having discussions with ICT companies here that are quite well funded and I\u2019m sure they\u2019ll be able to raise the funds [needed to invest],\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve also had interest from private investors that do not need to buy or secure capacity but that have only indicated interest in investing money in the cable.\u201d<\/p>\n
The system has only attracted 12 signatures so far, but the cable system will be provisioned in such a way as to allow any nation to sign up at a later stage.<\/p>\n
South African Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri told FMTech that she is hopeful that InfraCo and SEACOM will be incorporated into the new Nepad cable project.<\/p>\n