adminTanaka Mahanya
Fibre and wholesale Internet service provider, Bandwidth Cloud Services (BCS), has embarked on a drive to make Zimbabwe the Internet traffic hub of Southern Africa.
BCS has been resolving connectivity challenges in its countries of operation by laying the first underground fibre in Africa.
Speaking at the launch of the rail network infrastructure, BCS group managing director, Yonas Maru, said millions of Zimbabweans will soon enjoy better and cheaper Internet connectivity.
“The network that we are inaugurating stretches for 1 180km from Beitbridge to Somabhula to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, and will be extended to Gweru, Harare, Mutare, and Plumtree.
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of ICT, and POTRAZ for creating an enabling environment and granting the necessary permits and attending to the numerous support that we keep on asking for.
“Our vision is to make Zimbabwe the internet traffic hub of Southern Africa,” he said.
Yonas said the fibre deployment along the rail tracks will significantly reduce internet access costs, increase reliability and bring high-speed internet access to rural Zimbabwe.
“In addition to serving Zimbabwe, the network will also be used to connect Maputo, Beira, and Nacala in Mozambique, and overcome the challenge of cyclones destroying the overhead fibres inside Mozambique.
“Africa’s long-term growth relies on the proliferation of best-in-class telecommunications platforms on which affordable, accessible digital services are built.
“From mobile money to telemedicine to online learning, data connectivity has the potential to increase learning capacity as well as to heal and unite every corner of our continent.”
He believes expensive and inaccessible telecoms infrastructure keeps citizens poor.
“In future, we envision a world where the well-being of our children and of our elders is not limited to the quality of teachers or hospitals on the ground, but on utilising online education, and eventually, virtual reality for free.
“Together, these projects provide the infrastructure necessary for our people to build the digital services that bring our continent together and take us out of poverty, while making Zimbabwe a true hub.
“Telecommunications infrastructure creates the needle that stitches our continent together as fibre links are laid across countries and our people engage in trade, commerce, and play without regard to borders created by colonial powers,” said Yonas.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter