Sparkle and Telecom Namibia Partner to Enhance Namibia’s Digital Connectivity via Equiano Cable

Sparkle, the first international service provider in Italy and among the top global operators, and Telecom Namibia, the national telecommunications operator, have signed an agreement for provision of capacity services on the Equiano subsea cable connecting Portugal to South Africa, with the common objective of accelerating Namibia’s digital transformation journey.

Wholly owned by the Government of the Republic of Namibia, Telecom Namibia runs the largest digital telecommunication network in the country, serving more than 619,000 customers with a wide portfolio that includes voice, text, data, and video solutions.

In an exclusive agreement, Sparkle will provide Telecom Namibia with capacity services on the Equiano submarine cable, thus ensuring a diversified, low latency route between Africa and Europe, supporting Namibia’s digital development and the growing demand for data from neighboring countries.

This partnership offers a diversified, high-capacity route for data transmission, reducing latency and enhancing network resilience, thus ensuring uninterrupted service continuity also in the event of outages on the SAT-3 and WACS cables. The resulting high-speed connectivity will empower businesses and government institutions to accelerate digital transformation initiatives, fostering economic growth and propelling Namibia towards a knowledge-based economy.

We are thrilled to partner with Sparkle to leverage the Equiano cable’s advanced capabilities. This strategic alliance underscores our unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional connectivity solutions to our customers and fostering Namibia’s digital transformation. The Equiano cable’s high-speed, low-latency connection will serve as a catalyst for innovation and economic growth across the nation.

Dr. Stanley Shanapinda, CEO, Telecom Namibia  

We are very pleased for this agreement with Telecom Namibia which confirms our shared vision on the importance of international connectivity to support the digital growth of the country. We are also proud to see how our infrastructure on Equiano is proving crucial for the evolution of the telecommunications sector in the African continent.

Enrico Bagnasco, CEO, Sparkle

Sparkle is the leading global Tier-1 operator in Africa thanks to its Seabone IP backbone, boasting extensive coverage in the continent, a wide network of Points of Presence (PoPs) across North Africa, Nigeria, South Africa, and Djibouti, as well as fiber capacity on the Equiano subsea cable.