The mobile telecommunications company UNITEL has invested 43 million US dollars in the branch of the submarine cable named 2Africa, spanning approximately 45,000 kilometers of fiber optic, announced today (Saturday) by the company’s Chairman of the Board, Aguinaldo Jaime.
The announcement was made during the inauguration of the new 2Africa Submarine Cable Landing Station, located in the municipality of Cacuaco, in the presence of the Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technology, and Social Communication, Mário Oliveira.
The new fiber optic line, which will connect 33 countries and extend beyond Africa to Asia and Europe as the largest on the continent, represents much more than the activation of a new technological infrastructure; it embodies a vision and commitment to the future.
According to Aguinaldo Jaime, the submarine cable also reflects the belief that connectivity is a key catalyst for the social and economic development of countries, making it one of the most significant digital infrastructure projects globally in the last decade.
“This is a next-generation submarine cable, approximately 45,000 kilometers long with 33 landing points, interconnecting Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with a projected capacity exceeding 180 terabits per second. This system combines more capacity in a single structure than all currently operational cables in Africa—a true global spine of connectivity,” explained the executive.
For Angola, 23.6 terabits per second have been allocated, a capacity that will allow the country to meet technological demands over the next decade with greater security, modernity, and scalability.
Today, Angola is connected to this global network through UNITEL, the only Angolan operator participating in the international consortium, which includes leading telecommunications companies such as Vodafone, WIOCC, China Mobile International, MTN, Orange, Telecom Egypt, STC, and Meta.
UNITEL was responsible for developing the Angola branch, constructing the landing point in Cacuaco, and implementing this cable landing station.
In his view, the investment constitutes a direct contribution to strengthening digital sovereignty and modernizing critical infrastructure for technological inclusion, priorities assumed by the Angolan government for the 2023–2027 period and aligned with Angola 2050.
He added that this represents a structural leap in Angola’s digital transformation, significantly increasing international broadband capacity, ensuring faster and more stable fixed and mobile services, greater resilience and redundancy in telecommunications, and reinforcing operational security for the state, businesses, and families.
The project also creates conditions for establishing data centers and other advanced data processing infrastructures, accelerating digitalization in sectors such as education, health, and financial services, among others.
Meanwhile, UNITEL’s Technical Director, Júlio Gonçalves, stated that this investment will provide a more resilient internet, resistant to outages, avoiding past disruptions, and allowing Angolans to access faster and more reliable services.
In the first phase, according to the director, it will reduce interconnection costs globally and Angola’s connection to the world. In the second phase, these savings will be reflected in prices for end customers.
The national fiber optic network, currently 14,000 kilometers long, covers all provincial capitals and includes metropolitan networks within major cities, ensuring internet access even in the most remote areas of the country.
Source: ANGOP
