MTN, a mobile phone network has announced a successful landing of their West Africa Cable System (WACS) today, in South La, Accra, Ghana. This system is to facilitate and reduce the cost of connecting the west coast of Africa into the high-speed global telecommunications network. Following this feat, millions of MTN subscribers across the continent will get closer to receiving the broadband windfall upon completion of the project. Speaking on the landing, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN, Mr. Michael Ikpoki, said the WACS which is expected to go commercial in early 2012, is the first ultra high capacity submarine cable system which will be deployed to the next generation and will connect Ghana, West Africa to the rest of the world. The initial equipped capacity of WACS shall be over 500 Gps and it is upgradable at any stage of the system’s 25-year long designed lifespan, he noted. MTN is the only investor which constructs and operates four cables landing stations (Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Cameroon), making MTN the single investor in WACS. Mr Ikpoki said it is now time for Africa to leverage the growth prospect of this fast growing industry and to help speed up the socio-economic development and exploring the vast opportunity that broadband brings. Mr. Ikpoki said “the provision of cost effective access to broadband is taking an increasingly important role within MTN and we have positioned ourselves strategically to provide world class services to all our valued customers.” He added that, “MTN shares this idea of business and development, and we remain a committed partner to Africa’s socio-economic development.” Mr. Ikpoki explained that WACS will open access for faster connectivity to support innovative IP-based services such as video applications for e-education, e-commerce and healthcare (telemedicine) and with commercial service expected in 2012. This new submarine cable system will also offer route diversity along with high bandwidth availability, he said. Source: Benedicta Anane/Myjoyonline.com