Adding new hopes to the continent, installation work of 15,000 km fiber-optic undersea cable by SEACOM that links African countries with India and Europe is going as per the schedule. The South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia to India and Europe, remains firmly on schedule to become the first cable to link east Africa to the rest of the world.

For years and probably for centuries Afghanistan has been cut out of the main stream human achievements most recently due the fundamentalist insurgency. Afghanistan’s strategist position is crucial for the country to play a leading role to connect Europe with South East Asia. Ever since the social turbulence started in Afghanistan, the rest of the world has been travelled a much long path keeping the country a stand alone point in the history. Telecommunication is the one the fundamentalist groups may dislike as it will connect people of Afghanistan to the rest of the world.

Telecom Italia announced that it is close to launching services on a fiber to the home (FTTH) network in Catania. Initial customers have access to trial 100-Mbps links this week.

The Fiber To The Home network rollout in Catania is part of Telecom Italia’s fiber investment plan. Telecom Italia plans to provide ultra-broadband connections in six Italian cities by the end of 2010 and 13 cities by the end of 2012 and reach 50% population coverage (138 cities) by the end of 2018 on a gradual deployment of fiber to the home.

According to the study results, the global consumption value of fiber-optic circulators reached nearly $170 million last year (2007). During the forecast period of 2007-2012, that value will climb to $280 million. Telecommunications will maintain its dominant market share lead throughout the forecast period. The forecast is in tune with the deployment trend in the optical fiber business segment.