Qatar dives into global digital economy with largest underwater cable project

Qatar launched an international subsea cable station on Saturday, connecting the country to the largest underwater cable project in the world.

In a statement on Saturday, Qatar News Agency reported that Vodafone Qatar has signed a 20-year agreement with the Saudi Telecom Company, a member of the 2Africa consortium.

The agreement ratifies that Vodafone will construct and operate an “exclusive subsea cable station,” which integrates the Gulf state in a multi-regional project that will cater for an increasing global digital economy.

This project will bear an influx of local and international opportunities for the country, a move that will place Qatar at the forefront of digital advancements in the region.

CEO of Vodafone-Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim Al-Thani said, “we are pleased to be part of this project that will increase the capacity, quality and availability of internet connectivity in Qatar and contribute to the country’s digital transformation.”

This extensive project entails the provision of internet services reaching a larger range of communities that rely on the internet for consumer and business services.

“We are currently building the new station for submarine cables, demonstrating the role we play as a strategic gateway to the world and how together we can continue to transform Qatar into a global hub, driven by our robust communications infrastructure,” the CEO noted.

“Through global subsea networks, Qatar is connected to the global digital economy which enables continued growth in our market via trade and investment, as well as an increase in the local and international business activity,” he added.

The system serves the African continent as well as the Middle East region, enabling a global connectivity service to nearly three billion people that account for an estimated 36% of the world’s population.

The newly-added division of the network, the 2Africa PEARLS branch, extends to the Persian Gulf, India and Pakistan. This addition transforms the total length of the 2Africa cable system to approximately 45,000 kilometers in length.

Submarine cable networks link continents together to facilitate the speed of digital data transfer by using “optical fibre technologies.” This method is considered more advanced than satellites, with regards to reliability and deliverance of larger data capacity. Doha News