Land-Based Network to Bypass Red Sea Risks

Dec 8 , 2024


Ethio telecom, Djibouti Telecom, and Sudatel Telecom have joined forces to launch the Horizon Fiber Initiative, a groundbreaking project that aims to establish a terrestrial fiber-optic network connecting Djibouti, Ethiopia and Sudan. This ambitious initiative seeks to provide a more reliable alternative to the submarine cables in the Red Sea, which have been plagued by frequent disruptions caused by conflicts, natural disasters, sabotage and general degradation. The damage has resulted in prolonged internet outages and significant repair costs for Ethio telecom, ranging from 100,000 to 500,000 dollars. A technical glitch in February resulted in a 1.5-million-dollar repair bill and a four-month outage. By establishing a land-based network, the three telecom companies hope to enhance the reliability of internet services and provide a redundant communication link connecting Africa to Europe and Asia overland. The signees seek to finalize the contract by the end of January and commence services by April. The first phase of the project, expected to be completed by April 2025, will deliver a capacity of one terabit. The new fiber lines are projected to have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years.


Radar

Yirgalem Hospital Inaugurates New Oxygen Production Plant

A new oxygen production plant has been inaugurated at Yirgalem Hospital Medical College in Sidama Regional State. The launch was attended by the regional state's chief administrator Desta Ledamo and Health Minister Mekdes Daba (PhD). Desta noted that a new kidney dialysis centre will soon be opened as well. Mekdes stated that the Ministry is working to increase the number of oxygen production facilities from the current 10 to 34 nationwide. The Yirgalem plant cost 86 million Br to build and h...


Radar

Corridor Develops with Parking, Recklessness Concerns, Research Finds

Research involving 400 respondents across four first-round corridor development routes revealed major challenges to the initiative. The study, conducted by Shaka Analytics and ETC Institute in collaboration with the Addis Abeba City Transport Bureau, examined the impact of the program on transportation patterns, transit accessibility, and parking availability. The routes—Arat Kilo to Bole Deldey, Embassy of England to Arat Kilo, Mexico roundabout to Wello Sefer, and Piassa to Arat Kilo—we...


Radar

Digitalisation Spreads to the Court System

Ethio telecom and the Amhara Regional State Supreme Court have agreed to implement a Smart Court project in Bahir Dar to modernize court operations using digital technology. This agreement includes building a modern network infrastructure, implementing cloud services, creating a modular data centre, establishing a network operations control centre, and connecting the region's courts with a secure digital network. The project is designed to facilitate secure digital information exchange betwee...