According to industry reports, Safaricom, Kenya’s leading telco, is seeking regulatory approval from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to build its undersea cable.
The CA, Kenya’s independent ICT regulatory agency, confirmed Safaricom has sought undersea cable landing rights. These rights would allow the telco to operate and maintain multiple submarine cables that land in Kenya.
This strategic move might greatly increase Safaricom’s ability to provide high-speed internet, improve connectivity, and minimise its dependency on third-party cable providers if allowed.
The telco, headed by CEO Peter Ndengwa, will also be the first in the country to invest in its undersea cable.
Safaricom currently relies on SEACOM, East African Submarine System (Eassy), TEAMS, and Telkom Kenya for their international bandwidth requirements.
In Kenya, the CA generally manages subsea cable landing rights. According to reports, Safaricom has since formed a consortium to build the multibillion-dollar underwater internet line.
Safaricom was forced to purchase additional internet capacity from other undersea cable providers last year due to massive undersea cable cuts that disrupted some of its services.
The deep-sea fibre cut occurred at the Mtunzini teleport station, disrupting numerous underwater cables that serve Kenya, notably SEACOM and the Eassy.
Safaricom application also responds to increased competition from other internet providers, particularly possible satellite internet services such as Starlink.
This is despite the telco leading the market with over 550,000 fixed broadband connections.
Starlink began operations in Kenya in July 2023 and has continued challenging the dominance of established mobile operators like Safaricom.
Since its introduction in Kenya, satellite internet subscriptions have increased significantly.
If successful, Safaricom’s effort to own and manage its undersea cable might be a watershed moment for the company, further cementing Kenya’s status as a regional hub for internet connectivity.
