Liquid Telecom lays Zimbabwe's fibre optic cables

The company has already provided national and international connectivity throughout Zimbabwe as well as to and from Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho and South Africa.

"This will be one of the largest single investments in telecommunications infrastructure across the Central African region," reads a statement issued by Liquid Telecom.

Liquid's next generation fibre optic network began commercial operation in 2010, connecting the region to the world.

"Liquid Telecom's regional fibre optic network will also connect these countries (Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, Lesotho and South Africa) to the various sea cables including, SEACOM, SAT 3 and the West African Cable System," the company said.

It is reported that the cable system will connect Namibia, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the great lake regions of Central Africa.

Three phases

The operation has been broken down into three phases and is expected to have been complete by year end.

Phase 1 links the SEACOM and SAT3 cable system through South Africa into Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia and includes two metro rings and local access metro network for Zimbabwe in Harare and Bulawayo.

Phase 2 provides connectivity to Zambia including Lusaka and Ndolain, the Zambian Copperbelt, and connections between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls and a metro network within Victoria Falls.

Phase 3 will see construction of a fibre optic link from Johannesburg through Botswana linking Gaborone and Francistown.

Creating a fast modern network

The fibre network uses state of the art equipment for high capacities and ultra high speeds in the transmission of voice, data, video and TV signals.

Liquid Telecom's goal is to create a fast modern network that will keep the region on the move.

Zimbabwe will be internationally networked, with about 1 340km of cables, carrying huge amounts of mobile phone, television, internet and other telecommunication signals before the start of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation next year.

Once this project if fully running it will see the country regain the missed opportunities and neglected advantages of the past decade by ensuring Zimbabwes ICT networks are available and affordable anywhere and anytime.