Egypt launches fibre-optic cable connection with Sudan

CAIRO, Oct 27, 2004 (MENA) — 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 Tariq Kamal.

During the launching ceremony of the project, which further bolsters the inter-relations between the Nile Basin countries, Kamal said the 400-km-long cable costs 4m US dollars.

Despite the difficult desert weather and topography, the Egyptian Telecommunications Company (ETC) managed to finish the project works within a record period of one year, said ETC President Aqeel 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 internet and will open new horizons on the world through Egypt, added the ETC president.

For his part, Chairman of the state-owned Sudanese Telecommunications Ltd (Sudatel) Abdallatif Abdalqadir 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.