Terrestrial Fiber Optic Cable Unveiled in Kenya

Terrestrial fiber optic cable unveiled in Kenya

NAIROBI, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) — Kenya’s private telecommunicationsinfrastructure provider on Tuesday launched an ambitious fiber optic cable project that aims to link the whole of the East African region by 2008.

Kenya Data Network (KDN) said it was embarking on a major roll- out of its terrestrial fiber optic cable project that would targetkey cities and towns at a cost of 7 billion shillings (about 105 million U.S. dollars).

KDN Managing Director Kai Wulff said it would lay the fiber optic connection in two projects: the Metropolitan Fiber Project and Backbone Project.

Wulff said the Metropolitan project would target key towns including Eldoret, Kisumu, Nakuru, Naivasha, Thika and Voi at a cost of 330 million shillings.

“What seemed ambitious several years ago has become a reality. It’s happening and we intend to have all corners of the country covered by end of 2008,” Wulff told a news conference in Nairobi.

He said the Backbone project would have three components starting with Mombasa to Malaba, which would be completed by the end of next year, before moving on to Busia through Kisumu and Kericho and onto Nakuru Road.

The project, estimated to cost 7 billion shillings, aims to provide free nationwide broadband Internet connectivity entirely based on advertisement revenue.

A large part of Nairobi now has access to Internet broadband connectivity, thanks to the first phase of the project implementedby Kenya Data Networks (KDN) and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) in January 2005.

Wulff said the KDN had already started the process of laying the metropolitan fiber in both Mombasa and Thika, which would thenbe followed by Eldoret, Nakuru and Kisumu.

The first phase of the connections by KDN started in January 2005 in partnership with NSN that covered greater part of Nairobi,with approximately 300 km laid to date.

Wulff noted that his company had invested heavily on infrastructure and had been looking forward to partner with companies who share its vision of connecting 80 percent of the Kenyan population with high quality and affordable services, by the end of next year.

NSN Country Manager Lucas Kranck who spoke at the same functionsaid his company was happy to partner with KDN and would benefit from their strong market position in the region.

Kranck said the company plans to provide affordable wire or wireless access to over 5 billion people across the globe by the year 2015.

The laying of ground fiber optic cables will be greatly complemented by the completion of the government-led East Africa Marine Systems undersea cable, expected to be operational in the next three years.

The undersea cables will connect Mombasa to Fujaira in the United Arab Emirates.

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