2Africa consortium announced Thursday the first landing of the 2Africa cable in Genoa, Italy. Vodafone is the 2Africa landing party in Genoa and lands the 2Africa cable directly into a newly built data center Equinix GN1. The landing sets the tone for more landings in the coming months as the cable is extended to a total of 46 locations by the completion of the project in 2024.

2Africa consortium, comprised of China Mobile International, Meta, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC, announced in May 2020 to build the 2Africa cable system with 37,000 km in length and connecting 23 countries. In August 2021, 2Africa added 4 branches to extend connectivity to the Seychelles, the Comoros Islands and Angola and bring a new landing to south-east Nigeria. Later in September 2021, 2Africa added an extension called 2Africa Pearls, extending to the Gulf, Pakistan and India. The system will connect 46 cable landing stations in 33 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe, with a cable length of 45,000km, being the longest subsea cable system in the world.

Vodafone is the 2Africa landing party in Genoa. Vodafone has partnered with Equinix to land the 2Africa cable directly into a newly built Equinix carrier neutral data centre in Genoa, Equinix GN1, with Retelit delivering the fronthaul.

Equinix GN1, located at Via Lungobisagno Istria 14/A, 16141 Genoa, is the first world-class carrier-neutral data center in Genoa, directly connecting into Equinix Milan ML5 and the Via Caldera campus. Equinix GN1 creates a new subsea hub, offers a new, complementary and diverse alternative option for subsea cables landing in the Mediterranean region.

Working with a local Italian operator, 2Africa has also developed a new terrestrial route connecting the Genoa cable landing station (CLS) directly to major carrier neutral data centers in Milan.

Good progress on the survey work and manufacturing continues with the 2Africa project remaining on track for completion in 2024.