Herlihy said other life-enhancing disciplines such as education, clinical and scientific research, which rely on real-time sharing of data around the world, will also become a reality for many African organizations.

SEACOM is hurrying to beat the East African Submarine System (Teams) in the race to connection the eastern and southern African coasts to the rest of the world. Teams is a cable that is being constructed parallel to SEACOM and has Kenyan government support.

SEACOM, which is privately funded and three-quarters African owned, will assist communication carriers in Southern Africa and East Africa with wholesale capacity for global networks connecting to India and Europe.