Paratus adds two fiber links between Mozambique, South Africa

Connectivity solutions provider Paratus Group has announced the launch of two new cross-border fiber links between Mozambique and South Africa.

Paratus Mozambique said the routes offer an alternative to the sub-sea cable norm and introduce resilience with two distinct fiber routes into South Africa. One of the fiber links traverses Eswatini and the other follows the Kamati Poort route.

"By adopting this dual-route approach, Paratus ensures unequalled stability and resilience. In the event of an unexpected cable outage, the second fiber link seamlessly takes over, allowing uninterrupted communications and data transmission," Paratus said in a statement.

"This failover mechanism guarantees businesses and individuals a safer and faster connection, thereby eliminating the downtime and disruptions commonly associated with single-path connectivity solutions," it added.

Paratus believes the cross-border fiber links will strengthen Mozambique's technological infrastructure and also pave the way for a robust and secure digital future for the Southern African nation.

The news comes as Paratus celebrates its sixth anniversary in Mozambique.

"Paratus is committed to advancing the technological landscape in Mozambique and beyond. Our innovation in offering this cross-border connectivity ensures a reliable and uninterrupted communication channel, regardless of external factors," said Paratus Mozambique Country Manager Rui Costa.

Paratus Group's operations in Africa

Paratus operates in seven African countries – Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia – and its extended network provides a satellite connectivity-focused service in more than 35 African countries. The group's footprint extends beyond Africa to international points of presence (PoPs) in the UK, Europe and the US.

Paratus Group's connectivity routes in Africa. (Source: Paratus Group)

In November 2022, Paratus Group signed a multi-year deal with OneWeb to build a satellite gateway in Angola's capital Luanda. It is the first of several planned OneWeb gateways in Africa and will provide low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite services to several countries in the region.

In September 2023, Paratus Group also announced it had signed a reseller agreement to provide Starlink's satellite Internet services across Africa.

In June 2023, Paratus Botswana completed a metro fiber ring around the capital city of Gaborone, to provide high-speed connectivity to businesses and individuals in the area.

*Top image is of Paratus employees from the Beira office in Mozambique. (Source: Paratus Mozambique.)

— Paula Gilbert, Editor, Connecting Africa