Airtel Secures 2Africa Pearls: India's Internet Receives a 100Tbps Boost

Bharti Airtel has secured the 2Africa Pearls subsea cable in Mumbai, India, a major development for the digital infrastructure of the country. The accomplishment is made possible through a strategic alliance between Airtel, Meta (formerly Facebook), and center3 (formerly STC), with more than 100Tbps of international capacity to be introduced in India.

Important points:

Airtel joins hands with Meta and center3 to bring 2Africa Pearls to India

The cable terminates at Airtel's Mumbai Cable Landing Station (CLS)

More than 100Tbps of international capacity are added to India's internet ecosystem

2Africa is the longest subsea cable system in the world with a length of 45,000km

The cable spans 46 landing points in 33 countries in Africa, Europe, and Asia

This expansion is vital in supporting India's increasing need for high-speed data and digital services, particularly as 5G networks are rolled out in the country. The 2Africa Pearls extension adds considerable capacity to India's cables, enabling international businesses to create new integrated solutions and deliver seamless experiences to customers.

Vani Venkatesh, Bharti Airtel's Global Business CEO, highlighted the significance of this alliance in powering India's digitally connected economy and catering to the growing demand for high-speed data in the country.

Sources: Bharti Airtel Press Release, Submarine Networks, March 27, 2025