Paratus Zambia, part of the pan-African telecommunications company Paratus Group, and Meta Platforms have announced an investment to build 900km of open-access metro fibre in Zambia to improve high-quality connectivity in underserved communities in 10 Zambian cities and towns.

Paratus Zambia will own, build and operate the network to provide wholesale services to mobile network operators and Internet service providers. The build will create about 500 jobs for local communities, enhance Paratus’s infrastructure, and help the company provide more affordable services and improved coverage. The network will also connect to the Paratus carrier-neutral data centre in Lusaka where Paratus can serve local businesses directly with high-quality connectivity.

This first phase will bring fibre to six cities by January 2023. The second phase will connect four towns before the end of 2023.

Paratus Zambia MD Marius van Vuuren says work has already started. “We aim to complete the first 280km by November and activate it by early January,” he says.

“This is a significant relationship for Paratus, not only because of its importance to the Zambian economy, but also because we will be helping to provide millions of people and hundreds of businesses with the opportunity to connect to the Internet via a faster and more secure fibre network.”

According to Paratus Group CEO Schalk Erasmus, this intervention is “very much aligned with Paratus’s strategy to transform Africa through exceptional digital infrastructure and customer service”.

Significant investments

“We have already made significant investments in our Zambian network, such as our fibre link from Lusaka to Chirundu and our own state-of-the-art data centre in Lusaka to house content locally. We are also working on a parallel project to link the metro networks to various towns and cities in Zambia. We are very proud that Meta has recognised this pledge and is supporting us with this investment.”

Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa, head of public policy for Southern Africa at Meta, adds: “These metro networks are critical to building digital communities and helping businesses evolve, particularly in underconnected communities. Paratus has already built fibre in many parts of Zambia and this relationship will help extend their good work. It’s good news for Zambia.”

The towns where the metro fibre will be available are:

Kitwe
Ndola
Livingstone
Chingola
Chililabombwe
Solwezi
Chambishi
Kabwe
Luanshya
Mufulira

About Paratus
Paratus is Africa’s quality network. With an eye on the future, the group’s investment in infrastructure underscores its long-term commitment to transform Africa through exceptional digital infrastructure and customer service. Paratus is managed by a passionate and professional operational team in seven African countries – Angola, Botswana, the DRC, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia. The business’s extended network provides a satellite connectivity-focused service in 37 African countries to a magnitude of customer satellite connections across Africa. This connects African businesses across the continent and delivers end-to-end service excellence. The group’s footprint extends beyond Africa to international points of presence in Europe, the UK and the US.

Born and bred in Africa, Paratus is thinking big as it grows its footprint to deliver Africa’s quality network. By understanding the unique opportunities that Africa offers businesses and individuals to break boundaries and to connect without limits, Paratus is committed to raising the bar for providing quality connectivity in Africa.