Seacom, the company responsible for laying the first submarine cable along Africa’s east coast, has unveiled plans for a massive new system called Seacom 2.0. This new project will run along a similar route, connecting South Africa with Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean Sea.
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Seacom 2.0 is designed to be one of the highest-capacity undersea broadband cables ever constructed. The system will boast 48 fiber pairs and a massive design capacity exceeding 2,000 Terabits per second (Tbit/s). The announcement was made at the Submarine Networks World 2025 conference in Singapore.
The original Seacom cable, deployed in 2009, fundamentally changed South Africa’s internet landscape by drastically reducing access prices and enabling the introduction of uncapped ADSL services. The new system aims to continue this legacy while focusing on next-generation demands.
Seacom stated that the new cable landing stations will transform into AI communication nodes, seamlessly linking African nations’ sovereign AI infrastructure to global data hubs.
Following recent cable disruptions that exposed connectivity vulnerabilities, Seacom 2.0 has been deliberately designed for enhanced resilience and security. The system will feature diversified routes closer to African shores and use open, carrier-neutral landing points. This strategic decision is intended to ensure uninterrupted connectivity, transform coastal nations into active custodians of global digital flow, and reinforce Africa’s digital sovereignty.
Seacom CEO Alpheus Mangale commented that by enabling open access and regional integration, the company is “creating a system that is resilient, sustainable, and inclusive.”
