According to l’Express, there are currently 5 submarine fibre-optics projects that aim to connect Mauritius! But a closer look at those projects reveals a much darker face…
INTERNET |
Une connexion rapide et pas chère. Une utopie diraient certains. Toujours est-il que les tarifs d’accès à Internet pourraient connaître une baisse drastique, alors que Maurice s’apprête à être reliée à cinq câbles sous-marins à fibres optiques.
A quand un Internet ultra-rapide et très bon marché? Si la question se pose depuis des années, la réponse ne devrait plus trop tarder. Il y a enfin une lueur au bout du tunnel… [source: L’express - copied as it is with typos! ;) ] |
Eassy
Let’s start off with the Eassy, which has been stalled so much that is should be renamed Slowy! Remember, it was supposed to be here by now, but the latest deadline is now mid-2010 (in time for the 2010 WC). Construction has already started, so everything’s right on track.
Btw, the Eassy website has just been revamped into a much better one with some more info about the project. Although, I guess seeing the above diagram, they have yet to update it to include a connection to Mauritius. Do check out the website: - http://www.eassy.org/
SEACOM
That’s the only project that is in-schedule & at the rate the cables are being laid, SEACOM will attain its target of being fully operational by 1st June 2009.
Except, there’s one big thing that even l’Express failed to notice before jumping on the story… The fact is that SEACOM IS NOT being connected to Mauritius! Mauritius was never included in the plans! Why the hell does the SEACOM website has a Mauritian domain then?!?! - seacom.mu
I don’t know where were the big just-married deciders when the SEACOM project was still in the blue-print? Didn’t they know that Madagascar was being connected as well? :@
LION’s meow
& that’s where LION comes in… LION is a cable, financed by evil Orange, that will connect Madagascar to Mauritius & Reunion Island! Or just plainly, steal the bandwidth from the SAFE cable to give some much-needed ADSL connections to Madagascar. That’s where Mauritius should seize the opportunity to negotiate connection to SEACOM using LION! (But perhaps I’m being too optimistic here…)
More on LION: Orange Mad – orange.mg
UHURUNET
Uhurunet will be an all-Africa submarine fibre-optic network with terrestrial segment called Umojanet. The Kigali Protocol, a policy & regulatory framework for ICT broadband infrastructure under the NEPAD was signed by 12 countries, including Mauritius. You can find more info about NEPAD’s Uhurunet here, but the main thing is that Uhurunet is one of the biggest fibre-optic projects ever! While the NEPAD have predicted the implementation before the start of the World Cup, it would very difficult to connect each & every country & island within Africa. Ambitious, but certainly not rubbish. Mauritius may not gain that much international bandwidth, but it will definitely get some better African links. (Tip: African file-hosting will be great venture – how about Slowshare.mu!)
Btw that’s the original version of the pic from World Bank which highlights the fibre-starved regions of Africa.
SEGANET
Seganet is a project pioneered by IOC to inter-connect all Indian Ocean islands - Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion and Mayotte (French regions) and Seychelles. Think of it as Indian Ocean LAN! But if there’s to be SAFE-sharing on Seganet, why not that of SEACOM as well. Seganet sounds promising, but for the time being it’s just at the decision-making stage. No one has given the go-ahead for that project. [More info]
Conclusion
Apart from Eassy, none of the above fibre-optic cable will provide significant speed boosts to our snail connections. Hoperfully, when Eassy will debut, everyone will be able to make the jump to ADSL2+…. like we did with SAFE to ADSL. So it must have been pretty disappointing for everyone who thought Mauritius was getting 5 new fibre-optic connections! Congratulate l’Express for making a mountain out of a mole hill…
P.S. Today’s 9/11.
Update: L'Express late as usual on the FUP - Geekscribes: Orange’s Capping Policy hit L’Express Newspaper
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thx for the info.. (:
LOL! to foto morice la trop original (seki on top la!)
keep it up!
@Yashvin
LOL! :D
We just have to wait and see. C'est ene projet Lion sans ledan. As usual , the infamous ICTA put his nose everywhere n the governement has no money!! What a shame!!
Dear everyone
Our very undemocratic neighbour Madagascar just got connected to the LION project - finally they've opted to join 'the civilised world'.
Get ready to witness your ADSL download speeds plummet over the next few days :-(
WC 2010 is over and no EASSy. Got any updates?
@Anonymous
Eassy will be here by September.
Thank you (for the quick reply).
Here by September, ready for December or January I guess.
Hi, on wiki you can read "The cable is entered service on 16 July 2010 with commercial services starting on 30 July 2010."
The guy who edited this article even made a mistake; "The cable IS entered service..."
Orange hasn't given any info on its website about the launching yet. If you got some, please write a comment.
@Anonymous
Eassy has already entered servuce in Mauritius since the 1st of September... Except the crappy speed is still the same. :(
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