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West African Underground Optical Cable Company

Optical access and telecom site reference Published 29 Jan 2025

Use this reference to prepare product questions for CGWEB NETWORKS. Check interfaces, capacity, protection and installation requirements against the current product documentation.

The West Africa Cable System (WACS) is a key submarine optical cable connecting West Africa to Europe and South Africa, forming a backbone for regional and international connectivity.

Overview of WACS

The West Africa Cable System (WACS) is a 14,530 km submarine communications cable linking South Africa to the United Kingdom along the west coast of Africa, constructed by Alcatel-Lucent and involving 18 international telecom carriers. It consists of four fibre pairs with an initial design capacity of 5. 12 Tbps, supporting high-speed data transmission across multiple countries.

WAC

S has 14 landing points, including locations in Namibia, DRC, Republic of Congo, Togo, Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Portugal, and the UK, providing the first direct connections for some African countries to the global submarine network.

Technical Features

Fibre Pairs and Wavelengths: Each fibre pair was initially designed with 128 wavelengths at 10 Gbps per wavelength, with some segments supporting 40 Gbps from the start. Routing: WACS includes express, semi-express, and omnibus fibre pairs to interconnect South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, DRC, Ivory Coast, and other West African countries to London. Latency: The system delivers a round-trip delay of 138.

5 ms between Yzerfontein in South Africa and Highbridge in the UK. Investment: The total cost of the system was approximately US$650 million.

Role of WIOCC

The West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) operates as a wholesale provider of digital infrastructure across Africa, integrating terrestrial fibre networks with submarine cables like WACS.

WIOC

C enables businesses, cloud operators, and telcos to access scalable, high-performance connectivity across the continent, supporting cross-border digital services and hyperscale network deployment. Their open-access, carrier-neutral model allows clients to leverage WACS and other submarine cables for reliable, flexible, and resilient connectivity. Impact on West AfricaWACS and associated infrastructure have significantly enhanced internet bandwidth and connectivity in West Africa, enabling faster access to global content and cloud services.

Countries like Namibia, DRC, Republic of Congo, and Togo gained their first direct submarine cable connections, reducing reliance on older, less resilient routes. Despite occasional disruptions, such as the 2023 cable break in the Congo Canyon, WACS remains a critical component of Africa's digital transformation.

Conclusion

While there is no publicly documented entity named "West African Underground Optical Cable Company," the WACS system and WIOCC's operations represent the core of West Africa's optical cable infrastructure. Together, they provide high-capacity, reliable, and scalable connectivity that underpins regional digital growth, international communications, and access to global cloud and content services.

West African Underground Optical Cable Company - CGWEB NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE [PDF]

West African Underground Optical Cable Company
West Africa Cable System

OverviewHistoryLanding pointsDesign capacityInnovationsTopologyConstruction and ownershipSee also

The West Africa Cable System (WACS) is a submarine communications cable linking South Africa with the United Kingdom along the west coast of Africa that was constructed by Alcatel-Lucent. The cable consists of four fibre pairs and is 14,530 km in length, linking from Yzerfontein in the Western Cape of South Africa to London in the United Kingdom. It has 14 landing points, 12 along the western coast of Africa (includ

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Technical note

This reference is intended for preliminary fiber and communications infrastructure research. Optical interface, fiber type, port or core capacity, electrical input and output, enclosure protection, cooling, installation limits and applicable standards must be verified for the specific project.

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