Omantel connects Africa to Asia with subsea cable systems

Muscat: Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) is interconnecting two sub-sea cable systems to deliver ultra-low latency networking between Asia and Africa.
Omantel Wholesale is interconnecting the Gulf to Africa (G2A) and Silk Road Gateway - 1 (SRG-1) cable systems to deliver ultra-low latency networking between Asia and Africa. The cable systems connect some of the fastest growing markets in the world with robust and geographically diverse terrestrial and undersea cable infrastructure, according to a press release.
Omantel Wholesale has deployed these cable systems to create new ultra-low latency route options for customers and offer global connectivity in these rapidly developing regions. It is supporting the economic growth of Central Asia and Africa while finding new ways to connect end users around the globe.
SRG-1 connects Oman to Pakistan with onwards connectivity to Afghanistan, China, Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. G2A connects Oman to Somalia via two redundant landing stations in Puntland (Bosaso) and Somaliland (Berbera). The system provides onward connectivity to Ethiopia and will connect Kenya, Mogadishu and South Africa in later phases.
“We are the only provider in the world that is able to offer rapid access between Asia and Africa via geographically diverse routes. The development and interconnection of G2A and SRG-1 demonstrates our commitment to delivering ultra-low latency networking in unique and challenging markets. We are supporting the growth of trade between China and Africa with new diversity and high performance networks,” said Talal Said Al Mamari, chief executive officer of Omantel.
G2A and SRG-1 add to Omantel Wholesale’s more than 20 undersea cable investments. They support its vision for ultra-low latency networking, leveraging Oman as a natural meeting point for global cable systems. Oman is one of the most connected places on earth with five redundant landing stations and four terrestrial networks connecting it via border crossings.
“Users in high-growth markets in Central Asia and Africa gain access to global connectivity. End users will experience more robust and reliable communications services, accelerating local development and support the growth of their digital economies,” said Sohail Qadir, vice-president, Omantel Wholesale. “We’re excited to be a part of delivering greater connectivity to these regions and changing how they experience mobile, broadband and other communications services. This is a big step forward.”
Omantel Wholesale already provides a unique high-speed link between Singapore and Frankfurt with only 160ms via the Bay of Europe Persian Express Gateway (EPEG) and Bengal Gateway (BBG) cable systems. It is the only operator with two landing stations in two different countries on the Asia Africa Europe – 1 (AAE-1) cable systems (Marseille, France and Muscat, Oman).