CMC Networks has deployed satellite connectivity across Africa and the Middle East to keep African businesses connected to the internet during subsea cable outages.
CMC Networks, a prominent global Tier 1 service provider, has bolstered its array of solutions by incorporating Low Earth Orbit (LEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Geostationary Orbit (GEO) satellite connectivity. This multi-orbit approach aims to cater to the diverse connectivity requirements of remote regions and challenging environments across Africa and the Middle East, thereby eliminating barriers to digital transformation.
On March 15, 2024, Africa encountered another connectivity setback marked by a major internet outage affecting West and Central Africa due to a disruption in submarine cable systems. This incident highlighted the vulnerability of submarine cables, which serve as critical infrastructure for internet connectivity across continents. However, CMC Networks, leveraging multiple submarine cable systems, demonstrated its capability to reroute traffic and optimise routes to mitigate the impact of such outages.
CMC Networks’ satellite solutions offer extensive, high-performance, and resilient networking capabilities, harnessing constellations from leading providers worldwide. The distributed nature of these constellations enhances redundancy and minimises downtime on customers’ networks, thereby improving business continuity and enhancing user experiences while reducing reliance on subsea cable infrastructure.
Marisa Trisolino, CEO at CMC Networks, said: Our goal at CMC Networks is to accelerate digital transformation across Africa and the Middle East, no matter the location. With the addition of LEO, MEO and GEO satellite solutions, we can provide seamless connectivity across geographies and during network and power outages. The recent damage to subsea cables and the subsequent disruption to businesses across South Africa has highlighted the need for a wide variety of connectivity options and digital infrastructure that has the resiliency to ensure business continuity during unforeseen events. Our satellite solutions enable service providers and enterprises to manage risk and maximise uptime.
The LEO satellites provided by CMC Networks orbit just over 1,000km above the Earth’s surface, offering ultra-low latency connectivity suitable for primary or backup solutions and various consumer Internet use cases. Meanwhile, MEO satellites, positioned at an altitude of 8,000km, deliver low latency connectivity with broader Earth coverage, akin to fibre-like broadband performance ideal for enterprise-grade networking. On the other hand, GEO satellites, orbiting 36,000km from Earth, furnish reliable connectivity suitable for less-latency-sensitive applications such as broadcast TV and low-speed data communication.
Geoff Dornan, CTO at CMC Networks, added: Recent outages show that service providers and enterprises need diverse connectivity options. Networking is mission critical and networking strategies must include multiple backup connectivity that can be delivered with a simple and seamless model. Our network supports a wide range of LEO, MEO and GEO use cases across Africa and the Middle East which is a real value-add for customers looking to add additional redundancy to their networks. You cant predict what will happen across your network, but you can be proactive and prepare to adapt.
Operating across 51 out of 54 African countries and 12 Middle Eastern countries, with over 110 interconnect locations spanning Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific, CMC Networks’ satellite options complement its extensive portfolio of network solutions, including AI, cloud on-ramps, cybersecurity, EDGE Cloud, SDN, virtualisation, and more.
