ANIP, Angola’s National Agency for Private Investment (ANIP) has granted the biggest contracts for a nationwide fiber optic infrastructure development project to the Unitel group. Unitel is an Angola based telecommunication company. The total value of the telecom contracts awarded to other companies including Unitel is around US dollar 2.982 billion.
Angola has been investing in modern communications infrastructure in a bid to provide high speed broadband connectivity that will bring overall development to the country. Development of fiber optic infrastructure contributes to the GDP while lifting the living standards of citizens and in turn will enable students and researchers to pursue their career even from remote locations.
Angola authorities had requested a fund of approximately US dollar 300 million from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to support the construction of nationwide fiber optic cable network project. According to the Angolan official, the Ministry of Finance of Angola will provide a guarantee for the loan. The project covers the planned South Atlantic fiber cable system and the cable of the Americas.
Almost one year before there were reports of an international submarine fiber optic cable network connecting South America and Africa landing in Angola. Angola Cables signed an agreement to participate in the construction of the South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) that spans around 6000 kilometers when linking Fortaleza in Brazil with the Angolan capital Luanda.
The contracts awarded by ANIP were seven and these contracts are linked to the construction, telecommunications, trade, mining and salt processing sectors. Most of the projects would be implemented in the provinces of Luanda and Benguela. Unitel will carry out expansion of fiber optic network project throughout Angola.
Angola has one of the remarkable communication networks among its African counterparts that includes more than 29 satellite stations, and several submarine fiber optic cable network landing stations. For example, the SAT-3/WASC submarine fiber optic cable system connecting the Europe and Asia has landing point in Angola. Angola’s first satellite aimed for communication is scheduled next year for launching.
Angola’s telecom service provider Angola Telecom is one of twelve companies participating in the West Africa Cable System (WACS) consortium, a submarine fiber optic cable system running along the west coast of Africa connecting Portugal and the United Kingdom. The landing station for the above mentioned Sat-3 cable, located at Cacuaco in Luanda, is operated by Angola Telecom.
Angola Cables is an operator of fiber optic telecommunication systems in the country that was formed by the major Angolan telecommunication companies, Angola Telecom, Unitel, MSTelcom, Movicel, and Mundo Startel. They have a stake holding of 51%, 31%, 9%, 6% and 3% respectively. ADONES (Angola Domestic Network System) consists of 1,800 kilometers of fiber optic submarine cable connecting eight Angolan coastal cities.
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