Fibre optic cable testing completed
Story by Tichaona Kurewa
IMPLEMENTATION of the Zimbabwe National Broadband Plan (2023–2030) is on course, with a test run for the fibre optic cables that run from Beitbridge to Victoria Falls and Harare having been completed.
The Zimbabwe National Broadband Plan aims to provide access to and adoption of broadband services by all economic players to ensure innovation-driven economic growth.
The fibre optic cables project being implemented by Bandwidth and Cloud Services, National Railways of Zimbabwe and Dandemutande, among other stakeholders, will see internet penetration skyrocket and the country’s digital spine being strengthened.
“Now we have entered the testing phase. What is happening now is that we are just ensuring that all the infrastructure that is in the ground allows the movement of bandwidth in it. We are also making sure that there is solar backup in all the jobs that are on that route. As you appreciate, this is huge infrastructure, a huge investment from Beitbridge to Bulawayo via Somabhula and Beitbridge to Harare via Somabhula. We are looking at 890 kilometres and therefore it has to be done correctly and the test has to be completed in a way that will ensure that once it’s commercialised there are no glitches to our customers,” said the chief executive officer of Dandemutande, Mr Never Ncube.
Communities along Zimbabwe’s first rail fibre optic network will not be left behind.
He added, “Where this infrastructure is passing through, the villages, towns and cities will now be able to access connectivity. For instance, as Dandemutande we have already built a base station in Beitbridge and this will now be providing internet to the community of Beitbridge. The same is going to happen in other towns and cities that this infrastructure is passing through.”
The transformative benefits of broadband include enhancement of global competitiveness, job creation, increased productivity, improved national security and enhancement of performance in education, agriculture, health, and governance. With broadband penetration linked to economic growth, the Second Republic is on a drive to achieve a digital economy by 2030.
