Technology news and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Technology News and insights in the Middle East, South Asia, and Africa
Pakistan’s international internet capacity has reached 17.21 Tbps with major submarine cables supporting global connectivity. New systems including 2Africa, Africa1, and SMW6 are underway to boost bandwidth, cut latency, and strengthen resilience. The national fiber backbone now exceeds 210,000 km across long-haul and metro networks.
Bangladesh Submarine Cables posted a 42.1% rise in Q1 FY26 profit to Tk 619.10 million as bandwidth demand and core business revenue grew. EPS, cash flow, and NAV per share all improved, reflecting strong fundamentals as the country’s sole international submarine cable operator benefits from rising internet usage nationwide significantly.
Batelco and BNET have partnered to deploy Bahrain’s landing and inland systems for the SMW6 and Al-Khaleej submarine cables, enhancing the Kingdom’s international connectivity, speed, and data resilience. The project strengthens Bahrain’s role as a regional digital gateway and supports national digital transformation goals by improving cloud access, reducing latency, and expanding global network capacity.
Orange Marine is constructing two new eco-efficient cable ships to replace aging vessels, reinforcing global connectivity resilience across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East while reducing carbon emissions by 20%.
Tunisie Telecom strengthens Tunisia’s digital sovereignty through decades of investment in submarine cables, driving connectivity, innovation, and national transformation.
Tunisie Telecom’s robust submarine cable network underpins Tunisia’s digital sovereignty, connecting the nation to global hubs and driving national transformation across sectors.
Iraq has signed two new submarine cable deals — one with Batelco by Beyon and another with UAE’s Breeze Investments — to land new systems at Al-Faw Peninsula. These projects, along with Ooredoo’s FIG cable, aim to transform Iraq into a strategic hub for regional and global data traffic.
Pakistan will lay three new submarine internet cables in 2025, adding 200 Tbps of bandwidth and reducing dependence on older systems. The upgrade, aligned with spectrum expansion for 5G, aims to stabilize connectivity, support digital growth, and narrow the digital divide for over 200M internet users.
Pakistan will install three new submarine cables and double mobile internet spectrum to boost connectivity, expand 5G readiness, and reduce reliance on existing systems. With 200M mobile users and rising digital adoption, the upgrades aim to support innovation, inclusion, and resilience against costly internet disruptions.
Chad and Niger have launched talks on fiber interconnection under the TSR project, seeking submarine cable access through coastal states to overcome digital isolation. Like other landlocked African nations, they face high transit costs and infrastructure challenges but are exploring redundancy links, satellite internet, IXPs, and data centers to boost resilience.