Paratus Zambia has announced the completion of its metro fibre network in partnership with Meta Platforms.

Paratus Zambia, a subsidiary of pan-African network operator Paratus Group, began the project in the fourth quarter of 2022 to construct a 700km open-access metro fibre network that will improve high-quality connectivity in underserved communities in 10 Zambian cities and towns¹.

With this newly built fibre network, Paratus will leverage the fibre cores and provide reliable, high-capacity last-mile connectivity to its clients.

By building this network, Paratus Zambia will provide wholesale services to mobile network operators and internet service providers. The project has created hundreds of jobs for local communities, has enhanced existing Paratus infrastructure, and will now offer more reliable services and improved coverage.

The network will also link to the Paratus carrier-neutral data centre in Lusaka, where Paratus serves local businesses directly with high-quality connectivity, colocation and cloud services.

“We are very proud to have worked with Meta on this project and we are delighted to be helping to provide millions of people and thousands of businesses with the opportunity to connect to the internet via a faster and more secure fibre network,” said Paratus Zambia country manager Marius van Vuuren.

Group strategy

“This intervention aligns with our overall group strategy to transform Africa through exceptional digital infrastructure and customer service. It also complements significant investments we have already made 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.

Paratus Zambia GM for infrastructure Chama Chinyanta said: “Our customers are already enjoying the benefits of this expanded metro network, and we intend to keep leveraging our infrastructure to continue offering top-tier services to the Zambian people. Paratus is ready to collaborate with network providers to enhance and improve their service offerings.”

¹Towns where the metro fibre is available:

Lusaka
Kitwe
Ndola
Livingstone
Chingola
Chililabombwe
Solwezi
Chambishi
Kabwe
Mufulira

About Paratus Group
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 over 35 African countries to a multitude of customer satellite connections across the continent. This connects African businesses 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.