Broadband operator SEACOM eyes new acquisitions in expansion plans

Undersea cable services provider SEACOM on Wednesday said it will pursue acquisitions in Kenya and other markets where it has a strong presence as it seeks to grow its business.

SEACOM chief executive Byron Clatterbuck on Wednesday told journalists in Johannesburg, South Africa, that the firm has an “unlimited” capital outlay to pursue such acquisitions.

The company launched the first broadband submarine cable system along the East African coastline in 2009, linking South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya and Mozambique with major Internet connection hubs in Europe and Asia.

The firm also has high-speed fibre-optic cable serving west coast of Africa.

“We are looking for partners through acquisitions. We are backed by some big players, the war chest is unlimited,” South African media quoted Mr Clatterbuck as saying.

The submarine cable operator launched its enterprise unit late last year, seeking to increase its business activities into the enterprise space.

SEACOM currently leases fibre from a number of providers. Mr Clatterbuck added that the company would look to trench its own fibre in certain areas as it targets growing commercial parks.

“Last mile is the key value capture. In our industry, you need to capture as much revenue as you can…get as much traffic on your network as you can,” the chief executive said.

Other than offering Internet access to its customers, SEACOM also providers Virtual Private Network services as well as private lines and secure cloud services.

In Kenya, the company recently unveiled plans to provide Internet connectivity and cloud services directly to corporate customers to help them improve their business processes and reduce costs.

Mid this year, the broadband cable operator added new Internet exchange points in Nairobi and Kampala to increase speeds for its customers.