Mauritius Telecom, the leading telecom company in the Indian Ocean island nation, is spearheading a new subsea cable project to enhance connectivity between Africa, the Indian Ocean islands, and Asia. The planned “T4” cable will significantly improve redundancy and capacity in a region that has faced recent service disruptions.
The T4 cable, slated to replace the aging South Africa Far East (SAFE) cable by 2027, boasts 1,000 times greater capacity than its predecessor. This upgrade will deliver faster, more reliable, and higher-bandwidth internet to the countries it serves.
Kapil Reesaul, Mauritius Telecom CEO, stated, “Recent cable disruptions have underscored the critical need for increased resilience in our telecommunications infrastructure. The T4 project aims to secure our connections to India and Singapore, ensuring reliable service for our customers. “
Mauritius Telecom is in active discussions with potential partners including Reliance Jio Infocomm (India), Orange SA (France), and other major telecom operators who could join the consortium. The estimated cost of the project ranges between $150 million and $200 million, with an anticipated completion timeline of two years.
The T4 initiative aligns with Mauritius Telecom’s vision to position itself as a major regional telecom player. This project builds on previous investments, including the T3 cable connecting South Africa and the LION/LION2-EASSy-EIG cable providing a northern route.
Recent cable disruptions across the Indian Ocean, including outages near the Ivory Coast and Yemen, highlight the vulnerability of existing undersea infrastructure. The T4 cable aims to mitigate these risks, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity for businesses and individuals who rely on the internet.
