HOME › About SAT3

Check this...

Tracking cables

The undersea cable environment around the African continent continues to evolve. Proposed cables appear, disappear, merge. Steve Song from the Shuttleworth Foundation is keeping track.

SAT-3 reinforces market monopolies in Africa - Study

Ownership of the SAT-3 cable by telecoms incumbents in Africa has reinforced their market positions, APC study finds.

About SAT3

To give it its full name, SAT3/WASC/SAFE Consortium is an international fibre that goes from Portugal to South Africa and out across the Indian Ocean to Asia. The cable system is divided into two sub-systems, SAT3/WASC in the Atlantic Ocean and SAFE in the Indian Ocean. The combined length of the SAT3/WASC/SAFE system segments measures 28 800km. It has 36 members who put up US$600-million to build and operate it for the life of the cable over the next 25 years.

Its web site states that:"This results in much of the revenue it generates being ploughed back into the continent. This is a major departure from the current scenario, where many African countries rely on foreign operators to route their international traffic which results in revenue generated in Africa, leaving Africa."

Research and Analysis

What does SAT3 charge and why?

The price charged for international bandwidth in countries is entirely controlled by the SAT3 consortium member that has been granted a national monopoly. In each country along the cable's route in Africa, this is the incumbent telecoms operator.

SAT-3 reinforces market monopolies in Africa - Study

Ownership of the SAT-3 cable by telecoms incumbents in Africa has reinforced their market positions, APC study finds.

Resources

Who does SAT3 connect?

A map showing the location of the landing stations of SAT3 member countries.

Who are SAT3’s members?

SAT3 has a total of 36 members along its full route. Of these, 12 are African members.

SAT3 and Nigeria

Harry Goldstein, from IEEE Spectrum, the magazine for one of the largest professional technology associations, was recently interviewed on the BBC World Service radio programme "Go Digital". The topic was SAT3 and the difficultly Nigerians have accessing its bandwidth for internet service and international calls. This link downloads a video of the show.

Wireless the way to go-go

Steven Cherry, from IEEE Spectrum, the magazine for one of the largest professional technology associations, discusses his recent article "Broadband a Go-Go" (dealing with wireless) on the WebTalkGuys Internet radio show. This link downloads the interview for RealOne Player.