Technology developments in Kenya on Friday, March 6 could spell better days for internet users in Kenya.
This comes after Mombasa witnessed the landing of Djibouti African Regional Express 1, known as the DARE 1, the largest submarine broadband cable in East Africa.
The fiber optic cable will be the fifth undersea cable to link Kenya with the rest of the world but with a number of added capabilities not shared by the others.
The cable is composed of a 3-fiber pair, with both having a capacity of 36 TB each. This is significantly greater than Kenya's current capacity of 8.56 TB provided by the four cables that were serving the country.
Principal Secretary for Shipping & Maritime Affairs, Nancy Karigithu, speaking during the commemorated landing on Friday, March 8 provided that DARE 1 would have direct benefits to Kenya.
This would be seen in the increased affordability of the internet in the country in addition to faster speeds.
The advantages were attributed to the 36TB capacity of the cable which would go a long way in meeting Kenya's internet demands, providing affordable, fast and reliable internet across the country.
She added that the cable would provide additional opportunities to the youth who would be in a position to enhance their skills in technology and offer better conditions for those working online.
The advantages of the DARE 1 in terms of affordability and reliability will be enjoyed from June 1, 2020.
The cable system runs across a distance of Ksh 5,400 links Djibouti, Mogadishu, Mombasa, and Bosaso. It will strategically boost Mombasa's position as a trade hub and a key gateway into East Africa.
The cable will be jointly managed by Djibouti Telecom, Somtel, Telkom Kenya and SubCom.
Mohamed Ahmed, the Director of International Business at Djibouti Telecom, stated that the cable would address the need for less costly internet across the region.
“We believe that this investment will catalyze the advent of many more cables, especially to businesses looking to commoditize data in Kenya. As technology gets more sophisticated, we are constantly looking at less costly and more efficient alternatives and this is a good example of what cooperation can do,” he stated.
The idea of DARE 1 was first mooted in 2018 after which the planning and chartering of the cable route were done. In 2019, all territorial and environmental permits were acquired and the cable manufactured.
The culmination of this process was the Friday landing in Mombasa after three months of building and laying the DARE 1 cable.
