Mauritius Telecom Unveils New Strategy: Rs 20 Billion to Establish Mauritius as a Digital Corridor Between Africa and Asia

Mauritius Telecom plans to invest Rs 20 billion over the next three years in a comprehensive digital modernization program aimed at enhancing national connectivity and positioning Mauritius as an intercontinental digital corridor linking Africa and Asia. The company's CEO, Veemal Gungadin, showcased an ambitious strategic plan placing the country at the center of regional connectivity during an event in Côte-d’Or on Friday, December 5.

This plan is built on several key pillars, including the deployment of new submarine cables, the integration of artificial intelligence technologies, strengthening sovereign cloud capabilities, developing digital payment systems, and the accelerated adoption of cutting-edge technologies, particularly 5.5G.

One of the most significant projects is the Connectivity Corridor, where MT plans to introduce two additional submarine cables, T4 and SEACOM 2.0, which will complement the existing ecosystem of SAFE, LION, and T3. If SEACOM 2.0 comes to fruition in Mauritius, the operator's total budget could exceed Rs 20 billion, as noted by Veemal Gungadin.

AI/Computer Corridor

Additionally, Mauritius Telecom continues to advance technologically with trials of 5.5G, an evolution of 5G aimed at enhancing speed, responsiveness, and network performance for both commercial and consumer applications. "Our coverage exceeds 80% for 5G and nearly 100% for 4G. We are testing 5.5G to understand what works, what doesn't, and what new applications can assist people and businesses," explained the CEO.

The company also aims to be a major player in the AI/Computer Corridor by investing in artificial intelligence projects targeting African and Asian markets. The CEO mentioned that they intend to support startups and scale-ups through cloud, AI, and data solutions, following the philosophy of "Build in Mauritius, Scale across continents." "We need to partner with major technology companies like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle to encourage them to establish their platforms in Mauritius," he added.

The financial aspect is also crucial. The mobile payment service my.t money, which has over 130,000 active users per month, will evolve into a solution for intercontinental payments, which, according to Veemal Gungadin, will enable fast and secure transactions between Africa and Asia.

He also highlighted several recently launched innovations, including my.t Everywhere, an instant internet service powered by 5G; my.t Travel, an application simplifying overseas connections; an enhanced version of my.t money featuring Razer Gold; the my.t Business Portal for companies; and Business Boost Protect, a cybersecurity solution for SMEs.