Broadband project ahead of schedule

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The National Broadband Backbone (NBB) project meant to modernise Zimbabwe’s main telecommunications infrastructure is ahead of schedule and near completion.

The project, which is financed by a $98 million China Exim Bank facility, has seen some of the country’s main telecommunication equipment upgraded, including the installation of fibre optic cables in the country’s main lines of communication.
The director of infrastructure and wholesale at TelOne, Lawrence Nkala, said the project, which started in November 2016 with an implementation period of 24 months, is now 98 percent complete and is expected to be done by early-July.
“The NBB has been running since November 2016…the implementation period was 24 months. We are currently ahead of schedule, targeting completion between the end of June and the beginning of July this year. The project is currently 98 percent complete right now,” Nkala told journalists on the sidelines of an anti-vandalism community outreach in Rutenga on Monday.
The project includes the upgrade of equipment at the State-owned telecommunications company’s exchanges at Rutenga and Ngundu in Masvingo. Nkala said the company has replaced some of the old equipment with digital equipment, creating connection points with the rest of the world.
“We have connected Beitbridge through Rutenga, Ngundu, Masvingo and Mvuma on the way to Harare. We have another connection from Bulawayo to connect Gwanda into Beitbridge. We also did another upgrade from Plumtree all the way to Mutare and another from Harare to Kariba and we have installed radios from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, this was all in the name of digitisation.
“We have a few links left ― between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls, Harare Nyamapanda, Chiredzi into Chipinge and into Mutare,” he said.
Meanwhile, TelOne has embarked on an anti-vandalism community outreach after destruction of the new equipment by villagers threatened the project. On Monday, the company met chiefs, headmen and communities from Chivi and Rutenga to educate them on the need and importance of the NBB project.
“The project has cost the country $98 million and it is not acceptable for us to allow such valuable property to be destroyed. This is why we have come here so that we can be on the same page on this matter,” TelOne director of retail Joseph Machiva told a gathering at Chitanga Primary School in Rutenga. newsdesk@fingaz.co.zw