The groundwork for providing affordable internet access in Zimbabwe is still being established. A critical piece of infrastructure in that battle is the fibre network.
Yes, I know right now most people are mesmerised by satellite internet, Starlink in particular. There is a place for those technologies going forward and I’m all for licensing them, even the Chinese options. However, we can’t get away from wired internet.
For all the advancements we have seen and will see in wireless technology, it will never beat the reliability one gets from a physical connection.
I know, in Zimbabwe’s case, we have been taken back to the dark ages by an innocent farmer digging a little too deep and severing fibre optic cables. But still, wired will remain number one, we just need it to be more affordable.
Dandemutande announced building a long-haul fibre optic backbone of 891km along the Beitbridge – Harare railway network. They partnered with Fiber Connections, a subsidiary of Bandwidth and Cloud Services Group (BCS Group) to jointly build the network.
It will cost $8 million and that should tell you why the terrestrial network game is not crowded. It takes massive amounts of money to build fibre networks and you have to sympathise with these companies when the ZW$ makes it impossible to invest in their networks.
The two organisations comment
Never Ncube, CEO of Dandemutande said,
We have made an investment of US$5 million for the backhaul and will invest about US$3 million in metro fibre in cities that the backhaul is passing through to modernize and upgrade our network thereby ensuring that the platform is future-ready to meet customer needs.
This speaks volumes of our commitment to providing our customers with superior connectivity solutions throughout the country. We will split the project into two phases, the first phase being the 531km of optic fibre from Beitbridge-Somabhula-Bulawayo which was launched in December 2022 with the Victoria Falls leg and the second phase being the 360 km of optic fibre between Somabhula and Harare.
The second phase was supposed to be completed by the end of February.
Yonas Maru, BCS Group Managing Director gave a few details on how the partnership is structured,
BCS Group and Dandemutande mutually funded CAPEX for fibre construction and each party owns a percentage of the fibre cores and shares in proportion of the cost of fibre maintenance.
Together, this project provides the infrastructure necessary for Zimbabwe to build digital services. It creates the needle that stitches our continent together, as fiber links are laid across countries and our people engage in trade, commerce, and play without regard to the borders created by colonial powers. The various projects BCS Group is doing take us out of poverty while making Zimbabwe a true hub.
They hope this new fibre link will “significantly reduce Internet access costs, increase reliability and bring high-speed Internet access to the rural areas of Zimbabwe.”
Doesn’t that sound like the hope many people have thrust on Starlink’s shoulders? So, I guess we need reminding that terrestrial connectivity can still be competitive.
In some countries, Starlink is not cheaper than fixed internet and that’s where Zimbabwe needs to be. Investments like these by Dandemutande will go a long way in helping us get there.
You may recall that Dark Fibre Africa completed laying over 2000km of their own fibre network last year. All welcome developments.
For context, Liquid had surpassed 20,000km in Zimbabwe back in 2020 and they reached 100,000km in the whole of Africa in 2021.
Also read:
- DFA Zimbabwe donates ICT lab to orphanage, gives update on fibre-laying progress, comments on Starlink
- Zimbabwe to get fibre optics, renewable energy funding from Africa50, is this a big deal?
- Starlink coming to Zimbabwe through Dandemutande partnership? Is the wait over folks?
35 comments
once star-link and Chinese internet is approved this will be a mega loss 🤣
Could be ,but I don’t see the government approving starlink anytime soon, they have a lot business interest in telecoms (parastatals) telone, africom etc. They would want to protect those companies
Until star link get a Sim card which can work on any cell phone anywhere in the world via their satellites,now that will be a real threat to the whole Telcom industry and game changer otherwise this fixed internet staff only a hand full of people can afford it’s just the same as the over priced local ISP fixed internet not everyone can afford that… But a Sim card that will change the game that’s when fiber and all these steel basestation towers will be come useless investments. Soon everyone will ditch that run to space
Yeah,that would put all ISPs on the back foot.Right now due to our economic pressures not many people can afford data as it has become expensive.
Could be ,but I don’t see the government approving starlink anytime soon, they have a lot of business interests in telecoms (parastatals) telone, africom etc. They would want to protect those companies
https://www.pcmag.com/news/spacex-cellular-starlink-system-works-on-iphone-pixel-galaxy-devices
That’s very true.There is a lot of stake for the gvt.Information is power and eventually Starlink will see the light of day but the process will be protracted
Depends on the kind of margins they’ve been running all this time
But Sengere said all the advancements we have seen and will see in wireless technology, will never beat the reliability one gets from a physical connection. He also made it clear that where fibre optic infrastructure is fully functional, it is cheaper than starlink. And come to think of it that if you get a non-geo locked sim you can roam around away from home or work and still be connected. Starlink can only be installed at home or work and I don’t think it’s radius is greater than 100m.
But guys to be honest why do you take the high way because here in Zimbabwe you must focus on rural areas because nowadays the technology reached every school and introduced every child must have a laptop or a smartphone, whilst in rural areas where on earth would they go to use their smartphones because they is no
connectivity.
Because if you do put wired network in rural areas l bet many people will stop talking about Starlink network
There is limited to negative return on investment to ISPs running fibre or copper to rural areas. It would take Gov covering the cost of infrastructure and heavily subsidising service costs for it to make sense. Starlink will in the near future roll out Direct to Cell services to interested networks, and that will have better impact as it only requires people have 4G phones. Even so, Starlink will still be the better high-performance solution in remote areas.
The infrastructure being developed on the ground is a very much welcome development. I personally welcome it and cheer it on more….. But if you look at the prices that are being charged (currently) for fiber connections by these service providers s its still expensive ( in my opinion). I think top down approach…Starlink is a better option (installation time)
In my neighborhood fibre is no where but starlink can be installed … If you go and want to have internet you are told the booster (all our boosters) are at full capacity (akazara). So it means there is no more service (for new customers) so why block starlink that has capacity
If you opt for the fibre you are told (your area there is no fibre) so if the current service providers are at full capacity… Why not bring a player who has the capacity
Tell them papa!
EXACTLY! In addition the service of most of these service providers is pathetic! They are arrogant also because our so called regulating authorities do not regulate. All they do is approve price increases. They should be enforcing that people get what they are pay for.
I think, these services are on a low mainly because Starlink is foreign and its influence has hard hit job markets and if introduced what would happen to masses in telecoms industry
The same thing happened in days of PTC services so many jobs were lost in this feat
So I feel accrediting Starlink and afix securities to work within can protect further job losses other than this undefined poaching from neighbourhood cause once everyone gets this access it would be like ZBC vs Dstv debuncle
Chokwadi.Chero ini kwandinogara vakati havasati vaakuisa fibre,hameno kuti vakutadziswa nei iyo nzvimbo yakazara vanhu
Only problem is the focus on the major it urban areas only
Only problem is the focus on the major urban areas only
Reply
It’s a welcomed development for backbone but I think we moving slow the future is already in space we doing struggle to catch up once again 20years from now …. Until star link get a Sim card which can work on any cell phone anywhere in the world via their satellites,now that will be a real threat to the whole Telcom industry and game changer China has already seen this they now making serious developments of their own space satellite network otherwise this fixed internet staff only a hand full of people can afford it’s just the same as the over priced local ISP fixed internet not everyone can afford that… But a Sim card that will change the game that’s when fiber and all these steel basestation towers will be come useless investments. Soon everyone will ditch that run to space
They can invest 3mill in urban areas because they can project that money coming back in a reasonable time period. In rural areas, customer density isnt there yet.
I cannot access *143# since yesterday , am I the only one? Is there maintenance or something?
Even me too
Even me too ,i can’t buy bundles on econet
Remember guys, the SpaceX post DMs was sent from a smartphone , just like the one in your pocket or bra right now. The post went directly to a satellite somewhere in the heavens and came back to Earth.
My friend, it is like we are carrying satellite dishes in our pockets at this point.
I can’t wait for Direct to Cell to roll out globally, even if it will require that Starlink partners with Econet and NetOne. Why wasting time with fibre cables of yours you gotta money to waste just link elon n make a deal
Fibre is faster than wireless
Mr Sengere econet is down we cant access the ussd menu
Econet sent this message yesterday
Important Notice! We are facing a technical challenge that is affecting recharge, data and banking services. We regret the inconvenience caused and are working to restore normal service.
PITY most of us did not get that pathetic message
Tokumbirawo Champions league results a nezuro please,
Madrid 1-1 Leipzig
Manchester city 3-1 Copenhagen
Extreme lackadaisical attitudes and inefficiency keeps the prices way too high. Where is potraz? they should be actually ensuring people get what they pay for
You must be kidding me!
If anything this explains the headstrong insistence, by our Gvt, of not licensing and trying to block Starlink.
Any long term investment in new installations of Fibre internet infrastructure is clearly extremely risky now, and not at all justifiable.
It’s only the existing infrastructure which has a place still, since it’s already there, and now just bringing in cash.
Obviously the project plan was already there so maybe it was too late to back out, but it’s terrible timing for the project, which will do very little to help us.
Starlink is your father!!!
Starlink is your father!!! Ndati Elon Musk ndibaba venyu vakomana
One hope around the laying of fibre along NRZ lines was that it would be tied to the resuscitation of signals/CTC (centralised traffic control), but it’s proved to be a pipe dream. Possibly simply money in the pockets of NRZ top echelon and Govt chefs.