C&W and Huawei Jointly Build 10 Gbps Networks to Speed up Digital and Intelligent Transformation in Seychelles

Mr Kim Jin, Vice President of Huawei Optical Business Product Line, delivers the speech

[Seychelles, Thursday 5^th December, 2024] Cable & Wireless Seychelles (C&W), the leading quad-play  telecommunications operator in Seychelles, recently hosted a Partner Event, to mark a significant milestone in the region's digital transformation. At the event, C&W launched GigaNet broadband and introduced Africa's first 10 Gbps broadband service, powered by Huawei's cutting-edge 50G PON E2E solution. This launch positions Seychelles at the forefront of the 10G era.

In his speech, Mr Kim Jin, Vice President of Huawei Optical Business Product Line, reaffirmed Huawei's commitment to innovation, collaboration, and shared success. He emphasized Huawei's dedication to deepening its strategic partnership with C&W to build intelligent optical networks enabling widespread access to 10Gbps connectivity across Seychelles.

The global optical industry is experiencing rapid growth thanks to collaborative efforts within the sector. To date, over 220 million people worldwide are gigabit broadband users, and the average broadband package speed has reached an impressive 400 Mbps. This year also marks the beginning of F5.5G commercial deployment, with operators worldwide actively rolling out 10Gbps optical networks to accelerate the digital and intelligent transformation of societies.

Situated in the Indian Ocean, Seychelles is classified as a high-income economy by the World Bank. The country's economy thrives on tourism, and its citizens enjoy free healthcare and education. Due to its sparse population and unique geographic challenges, advanced optical access networks are essential. Through its strategic partnership with Huawei, C&W has achieved remarkable progress in optical connectivity. Huawei's innovative FTTx network solutions, tailored for island nations like Seychelles, have enabled C&W to pioneer FTTH services, making it the preferred broadband provider for both enterprises and households.

Mr Kim Jin highlighted how the rapid evolution of AI technologies is making intelligence an integral part of daily life. Smart applications like AI assistants, cloud computing, intelligent robots, and 3D optical sensing are advancing rapidly. To support this shift, Huawei and C&W have collaborated to innovate and upgrade Seychelles' network infrastructure. With Huawei’s industry-leading 50G PON E2E solution, C&W has seamlessly transitioned its network from 100 Mbps to gigabit per second, and now to 10Gbps. This marks Africa's first 10Gbps broadband deployment, ensuring high-speed, ubiquitous connectivity for homes and businesses.

Huawei’s 50G PON-based solution allows the coexistence of GPON, 10G PON, and 50G PON technologies, ensuring a seamless and efficient upgrade path. The system supports an optical power budget of 32 dB, eliminating the need for OND changes during the transition to 10G. Additionally, its E2E intelligent slicing technology enhances network performance by ensuring dedicated AI service bandwidth, ultra-low latency of 1 ms, and microsecond-level jitter, shifting AI services from best-effort delivery to assured quality.

Looking to the future, Huawei believes the next decade will be defined by intelligence. By staying committed to its strategy of innovation, collaboration, and mutual success, Huawei will continue to work closely with C&W to introduce advanced technologies, enhance fibre-optic networks, and deliver all-optical connectivity. Together, they aim to build a robust foundation for Seychelles’ journey toward a smarter, more interconnected future.