Message-ID: <9610011722.AA06971@orchid.tc.pw.com> Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 07:40:52 EDT From: John Coakley <mailto:John_Coakley@NOTES.PW.COM> Subject: Re: Africa One To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Africa One, at least that with which I'm familiar, is not a site on the Web but rather a major initiative of AT&T Submarine Systems Inc. (SSI) to provision a ~35,000 Kilometer fiber optic cable around the continent of Africa. The loop will interconnect with the terrestrial networks in 41 African countries, including island nations.The systems is proposed as a three tiered network: global, linking Africa to the international network; regional, linking countries around the continent in a manner currently not possible; and national, providing state-of-the-art links between major population centers within the same country.
AT&T SSI and its partners are currently finalizing plans and seeking investors and participation by African countries. Tentative plans call for construction to begin next year.
Other proposed African continent wide telecommunications solutions are the Regional African Satellite Communication System (RASCOM) and Fiber Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG), an initiative of Nynex Network Systems.
For more information on telecoms in Africa visit <http://www.info.usaid.gov/rtr> (text only version now available).
John Coakley Southern Africa Regional Telecom Restructuring Program