e& Carrier & Wholesale Services (C&WS), the international wholesale arm of global technology group e&, has announced the successful landing and integration of the 2Africa submarine cable system at its carrier-neutral SmartHub data centre in the UAE.
Spanning approximately 45,000 kilometres, 2Africa is the world’s largest submarine cable system, linking Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The system is designed to address the region’s rapidly growing demand for international bandwidth and high-capacity connectivity.
Nabil Baccouche, Group Chief Carrier & Wholesale Officer at e&, described the milestone as a strategic achievement that strengthens e&’s position as a global connectivity partner. He said bringing 2Africa into service in the UAE enhances international network resilience and enables partners and customers to scale operations confidently as demand for low-latency, high-capacity services continues to rise.
The integration of the subsea cable is expected to significantly boost network capacity, improve resilience, and reduce latency. By diversifying international routes, 2Africa enhances reliability for carriers, content providers, enterprises, and consumers, while supporting the UAE’s expanding digital economy and cloud ecosystem.
The project took nearly six years to complete, spanning 50 jurisdictions and navigating complex regulatory environments. The 2Africa consortium includes major global players such as Meta, Bayobab, center3, China Mobile International Limited, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and others.
The activation of 2Africa in the UAE further cements the country’s role as a regional connectivity hub, strengthening its position within global digital trade corridors and supporting rising demand for data, cloud services, and cross-border digital infrastructure.
