Egypt launches fibre optic cable connection with Sudan

Egypt launched on Tuesday a fibre optic cable connection with Sudan to boost communications and the high-speed internet services between the two countries, said Egyptian Minister of Telecommunications and Information Technology Tareq Kamel.

During the launching ceremony of the project which further bolsters the inter-relations between the Nile Basin countries, Kamel said the 400-kilometer-long cable costs dlrs four million.

Despite the difficult desert weather and topography, the Telecom Egypt managed to finish the project works within a record period of one year, said its chairman Okail Bashir. "The cable operation will be carried out through high-speed equipment to ease information transmission and cater for the needs of the Egyptian and the Sudanese sides, "said Bashir.

The new project will serve millions of Sudanese in the fields of communications and high-speed, Bashir added.

For his part, chairman of the state-owned Sudanese Telecommunications Ltd. (Sudatel) Abdelatif Abdel Qader said Sudan has now 1.3 million ground lines in addition to one million mobile lines.

Sudan also has 104 internet service providers and Sudatel was the first Sudanese company to be registered in foreign stock exchanges, he said, adding that its shares are being traded in Bahrain, Abu Dhabi and Dubai bourses.