Improving communications infrastructure for millions is not a CSR project for SEACOM, but rather, the company’s core business. In July 2009, SEACOM launched a submarine fiber optic cable system connecting south and east Africa with networks in India and Europe. This investment is transforming access and connectivity to mobile phones and internet for millions who previously relied exclusively on slow and expensive satellites for communication infrastructure.
Brian Herlihy, CEO of SEACOM, sees this project as an opportunity to connect Africans more closely with the rest of the world and to make the African content more broadly accessible. “SEACOM needs to position itself in Africa as the international aggregator of content, of rich media, so that it becomes ubiquitous, whether you’re sitting in Africa, New York, or London you’re accessing the same sort of rich content,” Herlihy says. He believes that one of the most significant impacts of greater connectivity will be improvements to education, as visual and technological learning tools become more prevalent. Fifty percent of Africa’s population is under 25, and greater access to technology is empowering the new generation of digital natives to realize their full potential.
Herlihy joined Frontier 100 in Spring, 2010 and brings extensive experience developing and implementing infrastructure projects in Africa. He plays an active role in Frontier 100′s infrastructure and ICT groups and is collaborating with other Frontier 100 members to present infrastructure deals at the Fall Forum in New York this October.
