China Telecom Global selects the Djibouti Data Center (DDC) as a Strategic Hub for Pan-African Expansion

Hong Kong, 5 December 2016 – China Telecom Global (CTG), the international operating subsidiary of China Telecom Corporation (China Telecom), a leading integrated information service provider in China, has selected the Djibouti Data Center (DDC), to help facilitate network expansion, co-location and submarine fiber cable access services in East Africa. 

The Djibouti Data Center has been built to Tier III data center standards and serves as a major meeting point for submarine fiber cable systems including the new Southeast Asia-Middle East – Western Europe (SEA-ME-WE 5) submarine cable designed to connect Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Western Europe. China Telecom Global is a founding member of the consortium for SEA-ME-WE 5, which is expected to be ready for service in late 2016.

Mr. Liu Changhai, Managing Director of China Telecom (Africa and Middle East) Limited, a subsidiary of CTG, said, “The cooperation with DDC is a significant component of our overall commitment to contributing to the digital evolution and economic development of Africa. The addition of SEA-ME-WE 5 to CTG’s existing fiber cable assets in the region is a significant milestone that marks a new page for the company’s regional strategic planning in accordance to the Belt and Road Initiative. With our abundant and further expanded network resources, we can better serve our MNC clients and Carrier partners in Djibouti, Ethiopia and other countries in East Africa.” 

The SEA-ME-WE 5 will span approximately 20,000kms and employ 100Gbps technology, with initial system capacity of 24 terabits to provide customers with low-latency and direct connectivity. It will further enhance the diversity and agility in the growing demand for Asia, Africa, Middle East and Western Europe routes around the world.

The system is designed as a multiregional super highway, and will connect Djibouti with China, via 18 landing points located in Singapore, Pakistan, UAE, Oman, Egypt, Italy, France and etc.

Mr. Anthony Voscarides, Chief Executive Officer of Djibouti Data Center, said: “The addition of the SEA-ME-WE 5 cable system further establishes DDC as the leading carrier-neutral data center hub in East Africa serving global and regional telecommunication companies, MNOs, ISPs and CDN providers.” 

Mr. Voscarides added: “We are very pleased that CTG will be joining the DDC ecosystem, as it further enables the development and introduction of new services that will help drive economic and social well-being in the region.”

The DDC is uniquely positioned in East Africa and will enable China Telecom Global to establish cross-connect and co-location facilities directly adjacent to Djibouti Telecom’s cable landing stations. 

In addition to supporting SEA-ME-WE 5 in the near future, the DDC provides access to fiber-cable systems such as AAE 1, EIG, EASSy, Aden-Djibouti and Ethiopia-Djibouti.