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Ketraco fibre-optic cable to go commercial

Monday October 23 2017
Ketrax

Ketraco workers install high voltage power lines in Voi, Kenya. PHOTO FILE | NATION

By The EastAfrican

Power utility firm Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) has entered into a 10-year partnership with Liquid Telecom to operate its fibre-optic cable.

The state-owned company is commercialising its fibre-optic infrastructure with the aim of becoming financially self-sufficient over the next five years. The firm largely depends on the government for financing.

Liquid Telecom will invest $6 million in the commercialisation of Ketraco’s optical ground wire. The project includes deploying network equipment, providing network operation and maintaining and managing the Ketraco network.

Ketraco will get 60 per cent of the revenues generated from the joint venture, with Liquid Telecom taking 40 per cent.

“In the next five years, we want to reduce the pressure on government funding,” said Fernandes Barasa, Ketraco managing director.

The company projects that it will require $3.5 billion to develop over 11,000km of high voltage transmission lines over the next 13 years, and has decided to commercialise its fibre-optic infrastructure to fund the projects.

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Liquid Telecom will use the widespread network to meet the rising demand for high-bandwidth, video and Internet services for businesses and individual consumers in Kenya and across East Africa.

“Liquid Telecom Kenya is committed to partnerships across every sector to advance our mission of ensuring we meet the rising demand for high-quality Internet in Kenya and the region,” said Liquid Telecom CEO Adil Youssefi.

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