After a year of hype and threats by the notorious Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, the ship laying the cable docked at the landing station earlier this week, escorted by a French navy ship.

The region has been waiting for TEAMS to light up because it has been billed as the most affordable telecommunications option, given the combination of government and private sector ownership. Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Northern Tanzania and Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have been busy finalizing their national fiber backbone to get ready for the cable's arrival.

In west Africa, there hasn't been much dancing or celebration even though the Africa Development Bank has invested US$240 million for a 7,000-kilometer fiber-optic cable from Portugal through Ghana to Nigeria. The investment by ADB will bolster the South Atlantic 3/ West African Submarine cable, which connects western and southern Africa countries.

The lack of celebration in West Africa may be rooted in the fact that SAT 3 has been operational since 2002. It has been underutilized, the cost of connectivity remains high and the region is still dependent on satellite.

It was therefore understandable that west Africa was not as excited as east Africa. The people in the region have been there and have had their hopes dashed.