SEACOM looks to offer low cost Internet

Mr Byron Clatterbuck, the SEACOM chief commercial officer

What you need to know:

Uganda had up to 5.8 internet users as of 2012

Kampala.
Submarine cable operator, SEACOM, has launched operations in Uganda with direct deployment of two Points of Presence (PoPs) to provide fast and affordable internet connection to the global network.

PoP infrastructure enables available networks to access the internet through an interconnection point with long-distance carriers of high speed bandwidth.

Speaking at the launch on Wednesday, the company’s chief commercial officer, Mr Byron Clatterbuck, said they had brought a wide range of expertise to champion a dramatic internet revolution in Uganda.

He said: “Our licence allows us to own and operate our network all the way between Kampala and our international network of more than 20 countries across continents.”

He added that this will ease global accessibility to Uganda through improvement of the cost and quality of broadband services.

The licence, according to Mr Clatterbuck, grants SEACOM the right to operate as a network vendor to other service providers like telecom companies, data service operators, among others.

The two PoPs deployed in Uganda, the company, said will further ease connections and network extensions to neighbouring countries like South Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi.

SEACOM first launched its Africa broadband submarine cable system in 2009, which Mr Clatterbuck, said has so far cost $650 million.