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SAFARICOM,the listed telecoms operator in Kenya will Thursday do live testing of the TEAMS undersea cable,according to the Chief Executive Officer Michael Joseph.
Safaricom subscribers have started enjoying even faster Internet connectivity,with the firm recording high demand of users.
Said Joseph,“With the undersea cables going live,we are poised to deliver an even better Internet experience. Our recent user deal with Jamii Telecoms gives us last-mile access to our subscribers whether they are mobile,in homes (fixed) or businesses. The possibilities with Safaricom are infinite.”
Safaricom is a major investor in the two fibre optic cables with a 22.5 per cent interest in TEAMS which provides it with 22,500 MB of capacity and 4 STM1s with Seacom which provides it with another 620 MB of capacity.
In regards to costs,Joseph said there would be no massive reduction of costs any sooner until after six to seven months.
“The costs will come down between 20 to 30 per cent,but not immediately,” he said.
Speaking in Nairobi onWednesday,Joseph said that as a first stage,Safaricom has connected some of its external and internal IP traffic to the Seacom cable which means that Safaricom 3G,EDGE,WiMax and fixed data subscribers are already enjoying faster speeds and response times.
The firm would continue to leverage its investment in telecoms infrastructure to ensure its subscribers get the best Internet service.
When the TEAMS cable becomes available,after extensive testing by the contractors,more of Safaricom’s network will be connected,including voice and data services.
Its investment in WiMax and Kenyan’s only 3G network and partnership with JTL would be justified as more customers benefit from faster and consistent speeds,increased reliability and lower costs.
Safaricom’s huge investment in Seacom is in line with its credentials as the largest local consumer of undersea cable capacity and market leader in both voice and data traffic.
Investment in both TEAMS and Seacom cables gives Safaricom’s subscriber base,the highest in the country at over 13 million,access to the most stable and reliable Internet connection in the market.
“With over 1.6 million of our subscribers already accessing the Internet from their phones,Safaricom has taken over the Internet Service Provider (ISP) realm previously dominated by traditional ISP operations.
“With our leadership in mobile corporate voice business,Safaricom is poised to take over the leadership of the corporate broadband market in Kenya,” added Mr. Joseph.
Safaricom’s data offering is a total end-to-end offering for individual,home,SME and corporate users.
The firm recently reduced the price of high speed data modems to KShs 3,999 and is running a promotion on data bundles which cost as low as KShs 250.
It also offers a hybrid of last-mile connectivity solutions tailored to meet the needs of its customers; whether it is fixed voice or data services through a variety of platforms: 3G,Wimax and fibre optic.