Liquid Telecom introduces Zambia to Fibroniks, targets 20,000 connections

The most visible Fibre to the Home (FTTH) package in Zimbabwe right now has to be ZOL Fibroniks. The Internet Service Provider (ISP) has managed to offer this service to the market because of the extensive fibre roll out being constructed by its parent company, Liquid Telecom.

Now neighbouring Zambia is set to receive the same product. Liquid Telecom has just announced that CEC Liquid Telecom (the joint venture between The Liquid Telecom Group and Copperbelt Energy Corporation PLC (CEC), a Zambian power generation company) is introducing Fibroniks in Zambia with the first phase being in the country’s capital, Lusaka to 8,000 homes and businesses in selected areas.

Unlike the Zimbabwean arrangement where Liquid Telecom acquired an ISP (ZOL Zimbabwe) to extend its fibre service to end users, in Zambia the telecoms company will be working with different ISPs that will act as authorised Liquid Telecom resellers.

The target for the Zambian FTTH market is 20,000 premises by year-end, a deliverable that is meant to be supported by the $15 million investment that has been poured into the exercise.

ZOL Zimbabwe in contrast has targeted a presence in 100,000 homes by the end of 2015,

Since the beginning of 2015 some significant capital investment into Liquid Telecom’s Zambian projects has been noted.

Last month, $5 million was invested in the construction of a new fibre link between Lusaka and Victoria Falls in Livingstone as a service channel for retail and wholesale customers.

This month the Liquid Telecom secured $150 million for the continued expansion of its fibre network with part of the funds being earmarked for FTTH projects in countries like Zambia and here in Zimbabwe