Telecom giant Bharti Airtel has expanded its international network by bringing the 2Africa Pearls undersea internet cable to India. This initiative is part of the larger 2Africa subsea cable project, which aims to be the world’s longest undersea internet cable. Stretching over 45,000 kilometers, the massive infrastructure will link Asia, Africa, and Europe through the Middle East, significantly boosting connectivity across these regions.
Key Details of the 2Africa Cable
The 2Africa cable system is supported by a coalition of major tech and telecom companies, including Bayobab, China Mobile International, Meta, Orange, Vodafone Group, Telecom Egypt, and WIOCC. The construction and installation are being handled by Alcatel Submarine Networks, a leader in subsea cable solutions.
Airtel’s Vision for Global Expansion
Speaking about this expansion, Sharat Sinha, director and CEO of Airtel Business, expressed the company’s commitment to enhancing its global infrastructure.
“The arrival of the 2Africa Pearls cable in India boosts our network’s strength and reliability. We recently landed the SEA-ME-WE-6 cable in Chennai and Mumbai, further expanding our reach. Our ongoing investments in international cable systems will help us deliver superior quality, high uptime, and reliable service to our customers,” Sinha said.
Airtel’s Extensive Network
Airtel already has an extensive global footprint, covering over 400,000 route kilometers across 50 countries on five continents. The company has made significant investments in 34 subsea cable systems worldwide, including:
- Southeast Asia-Japan Cable 2 (SJC2)—enhancing connectivity in the Asia-Pacific region.
- Equiano Cable—connecting Africa and Europe.
- SEA-ME-WE-6—recently landed in Chennai and Mumbai, boosting India’s connectivity with the Middle East and Europe.
Other Major Cables in Airtel’s Portfolio
In addition to 2Africa, Airtel has also invested in several large-scale subsea systems, including:
- i2i cable network—connecting India and Singapore.
- Europe India Gateway (EIG)—linking India with Europe.
- IMEWE—providing connectivity between India, the Middle East, and Europe.
- SEA-ME-WE-4—a key cable route linking Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
- Asia-America Gateway (AAG)—linking Southeast Asia to the United States.
- Unity—offering trans-Pacific connectivity.
- EASSy—serving the East African region.
- Gulf Bridge International (GBI)—connecting the Middle East with Europe and Asia.
- Middle East North Africa Submarine Cable (MENA)—enhancing connectivity in the MENA region.
Boosting Connectivity and Digital Growth
By landing the 2Africa Pearls cable in India, Airtel aims to enhance network capacity, provide faster and more reliable internet, and support the growing demand for data-driven services. This expansion will also benefit businesses by offering improved latency and bandwidth, enabling seamless communication and data transfer across regions.
Airtel’s ongoing investments in subsea cables are part of its broader strategy to future-proof its network, meet the increasing demand for high-speed connectivity, and strengthen its position as a global telecom leader.
