The connection will run from Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, to the border town of Sesheke, across the Zambezi from Namibia’s Caprivi Strip
Bart Hofker (pictured), CEO of MTN Zambia, said: “In our pursuit to create a digital global hub in Zambia, we are happy to announce the construction of fibre connectivity from Lusaka through Sesheke to Mongu which will make Zambia a major transit point to international destinations.”
He added, “This partnership will help us provide stability on our network and cheaper internet for our customers to connect with family, friends and colleagues.”
MTN also has a network in Namibia, but that unit has not yet made an announcement about its end of the link.
Chinese vendor ZTE said it has won the contract from MTN Zambia to build the backbone fibre to the border.
Dong Renjie, CEO of ZTE Zambia, said: “We will be committed to working with MTN Zambia to promote the upgrade of its networks and build the most advanced and leading digital communication network in Zambia.”
The system chosen will be able to provide bandwidth beyond 1Gbps, said ZTE. “This backbone network also features high scalability for future evolution,” said the company, which is based in Shenzhen in southern China.
