Southern Africa: Ttcl to Link SADC Region With High Speed Fibre Optic Cable

By Ludovick Kazoka in Dodoma

TANZANIA Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL) will roll out a high speed fibre optic cable network to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states.

Director of Tanzania Information Services Department and Chief Government Spokesperson, Dr Hassan Abbas, said yesterday that so far the public telecom company had completed the project to

roll out the fibre optic cable to two SADC member states, namely Zambia and Malawi.

"TTCL continues rolling out the fibre optic cable network to SADC member states that has already reached to Zambia and Malawi," he said.

The fibre optic cable network will serve as a foundation for SADC member states to foster digital economy. The infrastructure is critical to ensure an increase in the use and access to the internet.

Dr Abbas, who was briefing reporters on the implementation of the government's programmes and projects until August, noted further that the Medical Stores Department (MSD) had finalised a system to supply medicine to SADC member states.

Last year, SADC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MSD on the provision of the SADC Pooled Procurement Services (SPPS) for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.

As for Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), Dr Abbas noted that the government had announced a tender to import 22 locomotives and a 60-passenger train for the much awaited SGR operations between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro expected to start in Decem-Railber.

He said the government had started importing five electric multiple units (EMUs) and two locomotives for SGR operations between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro, saying each EMU had an eight passenger train.

"The government has imported five electric multiple units for SGR operations between Dodoma and Morogoro," he explained.

Dr Abbas further said the construction of Ubungo Interchange, which will improve traffic flows, had been implemented by 50 per cent, saying the World Bank (WB)-funded project worth 200bn/- would be completed by 2020.

"The project will be complete and handed over to the government by next year," he noted.