February 27, the standing committee of the Regional Council responded favorably to the request for financing of a new submarine telecommunications cable linking Reunion Island to Durban (South Africa).
To contribute to this project, 30 million euros from the European Feder fund will be mobilized by the community. The overall cost is estimated at 83 million and should also benefit from state support. Réunion THD – regional authority – represents the consortium created for the implementation of the project called ReuNION (REUnion New Indian Ocean Network). It brings together, Besides Meeting THD, Telco OI (subsidiary of the Malagasy group Axian), Réunicable (Océindie group) and Orange. The Region has decided to commit to public funding due to the aging of the SAFE cable (South Africa Far East), set up in 2000 between Malaysia and South Africa via Reunion, and which is approaching obsolescence. The cable will be laid by the French company Alcatel Submarine Networks, who also announced his intention to base himself in Reunion, eventually, a submarine cable maintenance vessel. ReuNION could be operational in 2030. The permanent commission of February 27 also announced the upcoming modification of the statutes of Réunion THD, which will change its name to be called “Connected Reunion”.
