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On 19 June 2012, ZESCO (Zambia Electricity Corporation) issued a statement saying that it expects the second phase of its aerial fibre backbone to be completed by the end of September 2012, according to the Daily Mail newspaper. The completion of this phase will notably include a fibre route from Serenje to Chipata on the border with Malawi. Meanwhile, at the start of June, ZESCO said that the deployment of fibre optic network on its powerlines in the Muchinga province had been completed, and that the fibre optic network would be connected to Tanzania through the border at Nakonde (see Zambia: ZESCO Completes Fibre Route To Tanzanian Border At Nakonde).

ZTE has been deploying phase 2 of ZESCO’s national fibre backbone along power lines (see Zambia: ZESCO Plans To Complete 3,000-km Phase 2 Of Fibre Backbone By End 2011). “The second phase is expected to be completed in September 2012,” said ZESCO (source: Daily Mail). “The network will cover 2,600 kilometres of fibre from Kabwe to Mkushi, Chinsali, Isoka and Nakonde, Serenje to Chipata and Katete, Mpika to Kasama, Luwingu, Mansa and Kawambwa, Ndola and finally Sesheke to Mongu”.

Following the completion of the second stage, deployment of the third phase of the network is expected to start in early 2013. “The third phase will extend the network to Mbala, Mpulungu, Petauke, Mfuwe, Siavonga, Kalabo, Kasempa, Mpongwe and Kaoma. This phase is expected to commence by March 2013” (source: Daily Mail). The first phase of ZESCO’s fibre network was completed in mid 2007 and comprises 1,260-km running from Lumwana to Sesheke via Lusaka (the capital) and Livingstone, and from Lusaka to Kariba.

Source: Daily Mail