Telebrás, Angola Cables formalize cable agreement

Brazilian state-run telco Telebrás and Angolan cabling company Angola Cables have signed a partnership to deploy an undersea fiber optic cable connecting the two countries, Telebrás said in a statement. A study by an international consultancy proved the initiative's feasibility, Telebrás president Caio Bonilha said without mentioning which consultancy. The partnership is due to be published in the official gazette by June. Communications minister Paulo Bernardo, in turn, said the initiative will reduce telecommunications connection costs between the two continents and enhance cooperation in other areas. The project's total budget is still under analysis. "The main goal is to strengthen our ties through communication. It will be a cable with enormous data transfer capacity, and with it we'll be able to increase scientific cooperation, cultural production and audiovisual content, and to strengthen our commercial bonds with Angola," the minister said during the signing. Telebrás expects the cable to improve data performance and to reduce by some 80% the costs of internet traffic going from Brazil and other South American countries to Asia and Africa, as this data will no longer need to go through Europe or the US. The cable will link Brazil's Ceará state capital Fortaleza and Angolan capital Luanda, and will have a total length of 6,000km. The project is forecast to wrap up by the first half of 2014.