Alcatel and E-Marine sign undersea cable deal

Dubai: E-Marine, an etisalat services holding company, and the leader in submarine cable installation, maintenance and repair in the Middle East, on Tuesday said it had been contracted by Alcatel-Lucent to lay a 4,900km submarine cable between the UAE and Kenya.

"This contract demonstrates E-Marine's strong capabilities and presence in the international marketplace," said Omar Jasim Bin Kalban, managing director and chief executive of E-Marine.

The East African Marine System (Teams) cable deployment was awarded to Alcatel-Lucent last December.

Teams will increase the region's optical connectivity capacity and enable lower costs of internet access services. The cable will connect the hubs of the Middle East and eastern Africa, extending from Fujairah in the UAE to Mombasa in Kenya.

"We are pleased to cooperate with E-Marine in this project that represents a new milestone in the development of the communications infrastructure between the UAE and Kenya," said Etienne Lafougère, president of Alcatel-Lucent's submarine activity.

Teams is a joint venture between the government of Kenya and the private sector. The Kenyan government owns 45 per cent of the project, with etisalat owning a 15 per cent share.

The remainder is shared among regional telecom companies and internet service providers, as well as fund managers.

The project is scheduled to be installed during the second quarter of 2009.