Kenya’s leading mobile operator Safaricom has reported in its 2020 annual report that its fibre optic network in Kenya has now reached 9,000-km. The operator’s fibre deployment in the capital city Nairobi and at least 19 other towns across Kenya compares with 6,700-km in 2019, and 5,000-km in 2018 (see Kenya: Safaricom’s Fibre Network Reaches 6,700-Km). The operator also said that it’s fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) network reached 4,000 buildings, and that its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network passed 330,000 homes, of which 142,000 homes were connected. Safaricom first announced plans to build its own terrestrial fibre optic network in November 2011, and began the roll out of its metro fibre network during 2013 (see Kenya: Safaricom Plans To Build Its Own Terrestrial Fibre Optic Network in Kenya). In October 2017, Safaricom announced that it had started an FTTH Regional Roll Out Plan to expand the coverage of its FTTH network to other towns outside of the capital city Nairobi (see... Read More →
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Congo: Construction Starts Of Fibre Optic Link From Congo To Cameroon
On 8 August 2020, a ceremony was held in the northern Congolese town of Ntam to mark the start of construction of the 347-km fibre optic link connecting Congo with neighbouring Cameroon. The link will run from Ouesso – Paris – Biesse – Sembé – Souanké – Ntam, and is being deployed by Huawei and China Communications Service International Ltd (CCSI). Reportedly costing Euro 66.5 million to deploy, this fibre link forms part of the Central African Backbone (CAB) programme (see also Cameroon: Cameroon Plans Completion Of Cross-Border Fibre Links To Central African Republic, Congo and Nigeria), and is supported with financing by the African Development Bank (AfDB). Within Congo, the national fibre optic backbone runs from Brazzaville to Ouesso in the north, to Pointe Noire via Dolisie in the west, and from Dolisie to Mbinda on the border with Gabon (see Gabon: Fibre Optic Interconnection Between Congo And Gabon Inaugurated). Source: Adiac Congo, Agence Ecofin Read More →
Zimbabwe: TelOne Completes Additional Fibre Optic Link To Zambia
During August 2020, fixed line incumbent operator TelOne announced that it had completed the 65-km fibre optic link running from Makuti to Chirundu on the border with Zambia. TelOne’s national fibre backbone includes a link running from Harare (the capital) to Makuti via Chinhoyi and Karoi, and the operator already has a fibre link to Zambia running from Makuti to Kariba. TelOne announced that its national fibre backbone reached 4,000-km according to its 2018 Sustainability Report, compared to 3,700-km in 2017 and 2,600-km in 2016 (see Zimbabwe: TelOne’s Fibre Network Reaches 3,700-Km). In June 2018, the operator announced that it had completed a 600-km fibre link running from the capital Harare to Beitbridge on the border with South Africa via Masvingo (see Zimbabwe: TelOne Completes Fibre Link From Harare To Beitbridge). Source: TelOne, The Herald, The Zimbabwe Mail Read More →
Mauritius: International Bandwidth of Mauritius Increases By 56.5% During 2019
The used international Internet bandwidth of Mauritius reached 101.657 Gbps by December 2019, according to latest statistics reported by the Information and Communication Technology Authority of Mauritius (ICTA). This was a 56.5% increase compared to 64.977 Gbps of used international Internet bandwidth in 2018, and 43.059 Gbps in 2017. Meanwhile, ICTA reported that the international Internet bandwidth capacity (the amount of capacity which is equipped and/or sold) reached 150.98 Gbps during 2018, compared to 96.3 Gbps in 2017, 42.5 Gbps in 2016, 21.305 Gbps in 2015, and 17.077 Gbps in 2014 (see also Mauritius: International Bandwidth of Mauritius Reaches 150 Gbps During 2018). The international Internet bandwidth capacity for 2019 was not reported by ICTA. Source: ICTA Read More →
Uganda: NITA-U Completes Phase 4 of National Fibre Backbone Project
The National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) has announced that the 842-km fourth phase of the National Data Transmission Backbone Infrastructure and e-Government Infrastructure (NBI/ EGI) has been completed. On the occasion of an official visit to the NITA-U offices by the Minister of ICT & National Guidance Hon. Judith Nabakooba, NITA-U said that the Minister’s visit came “shortly after the completion of phase four of the NBI which was launched by H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, in May 2019. The Fourth Phase of the NBI extended internet connectivity to districts of Pakwach, Nebbi, Arua, Yumbe, Koboko, Adjumani, Katakwi and the boarder points of, Oraba, Vurra and Mpondwe. With Phase four complete, Uganda is now a fully-fledged regional communications transit hub with connectivity to nine (9) border points; Busia, Mutukula, Elegu, Katuna, Malaba, Mpondwe, Vurra, Oraba and Goli.” The first phase of the NBI project comprised 198-km of fibre network connecting... Read More →
Senegal: Sonatel’s International Bandwidth Reaches 300 Gbps During 2019
Filed under: Capacity, Fibre Long Haul, Fibre Metro Tags: Senegal
Sonatel announced that its international Internet bandwidth reached 300 Gbps by December 2019, according to its 2019 Corporate Social Responsibility report, a 71% increase compared to 175 Gbps in 2018 (revised), 80 Gbps in 2017 and 40 Gbps in 2016 (see Senegal: Sonatel’s International Bandwidth Reaches 172 Gbps During 2018). Sonatel is connected to the Atlantis-2, SAT-3 and ACE submarine cables which land in Dakar (the capital), and the operator also provides international bandwidth to its neighbouring countries. In addition, two further submarine cables will land in Dakar: an agreement was signed in 2018 to land the Main One cable in Dakar (see Senegal: Orange And MainOne Sign Agreement To Land The MainOne Cable In Dakar), and the Senegal Horn of Africa Regional Express (SHARE) submarine cable, which will connect Dakar with Praia (Cape Verde) is also under construction (see Senegal: Huawei Starts Deployment Of SHARE Submarine Cable Connecting Cape Verde To Senegal). Sonatel also reported... Read More →
South Africa: Broadband Infraco’s National Fibre Backbone Reaches 14,958-Km, Building New Rural And International Fibre Routes
Filed under: Capacity, Fibre Long Haul Tags: Botswana, South Africa
Broadband Infraco, the state-owned wholesale provider, announced in its 2019 annual report that its national fibre optic backbone reached 14,958-km by March 2019. This compares to 14,923-km in 2017, 14,661-km in 2016, and 14,000-km in 2014 (see also South Africa: Broadband Infraco’s National Fibre Backbone Increases To 14,923-Km During 2017). Under SA Connect Phase 1A, which will expand broadband infrastructure to rural and under-served areas, Infraco will build 999-km of new fibre optic routes to connect new points of presence (POPs). In addition, Infraco is also planning to build secondary fibre routes to neighbouring countries to increase the reliability of these links. Infraco already has a primary fibre optic route with Botswana via Ramatlabama, and has partnered with Botswana Fibre Networks (BoFiNet) to build a new 118-km route from Zeerust to Kopfontein on the border with Tlokweng (Botswana). This is part of a second international backhaul route from Tlokweng – Pretoria, with... Read More →
Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso’s International Bandwidth Reaches 44.2 Gbps, December 2019
Burkina Faso’s international Internet bandwidth reached 44.19 Gbps in December 2019, according to latest statistics released by ARCEP (Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques et des Postes), a 17% increase compared to 37.89 Gbps in December 2018 (see Burkina Faso: Burkina Faso’s International Bandwidth Reaches 37.9 Gbps, December 2018). This total bandwidth of 44.19 Gbps was split between fixed-line incumbent Onatel with 25.1 Gbps, Orange Burkina Faso with 16.16 Gbps and Telecel Faso with 2.93 Gbps. Onatel’s international bandwidth was previously 20 Gbps in Decembe 2018, 13.1 Gbps in 2017, 10.6 Gbps in 2016, 5.6 Gbps in 2015, 4.2 Gbps in 2014 and 1.866 Gbps in 2013. Onatel has diverse international fibre routes to neighbouring countries of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mauritania via Mali, and Togo. Meanwhile, Orange Burkina Faso’s international bandwidth of 16.16 Gbps has almost quadrupled during 2018 to 16.01 Gbps by December 2018 from 4.19 Gbps in December 2017,... Read More →
Algeria: Algerie Telecom’s International Bandwidth Reaches 1.150 Tbps, Dec 2019
Algeria Telecom’s utilised international Internet bandwidth reached 1.150 Tbps by December 2019, according to latest statistics released by the Ministère de la Poste, des Télécommunications, des Technologies et du Numérique (MPTTN). The operator’s utilised international Internet bandwidth was reported as 998 Gbps in September, 921 Gbps in June, and 904 Gbps in March 2019. MPTTN previously reported a total international bandwidth for all operators of 1.050 Tbps in 2018, 810.155 Gbps in 2017, 630.150 Gbps in 2016, 485.155 Gbps in 2015, and 278.0 Gbps in 2014 (see also Algeria: Algeria’s International Bandwidth Reaches 1.050 Tbps, Dec 2018). Source: MPTTN Read More →
Africa: 2Africa Submarine Cable Announced, Which Will Connect 16 African Countries, Europe And Middle East
On 14 May 2020, China Mobile International, Facebook, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, STC, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC announced that they will partner to build the 37,000-km 2Africa submarine cable which will interconnect Europe (eastward via Egypt), the Middle East (via Saudi Arabia), with 21 landings in 16 countries in Africa. The 2Africa system is expected to go live in 2023/4, according to a press release, delivering more than the total combined capacity of all subsea cables serving Africa today with a design capacity of up to 180 Tbps on key parts of the system. The parties have appointed Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) to build the cable in a fully funded project which will greatly enhance connectivity across Africa and the Middle East. The 2Africa cable will implement a new technology, SDM1 from ASN, allowing deployment of up to 16 fibre pairs instead of the eight fibre pairs supported by older technologies, bringing much greater and more cost-effective capacity. In countries... Read More →