The latest news coming from continental telecoms carrier, Liquid Telecom, is that it has entered into an agreement with multi-national telecoms operator Bharti Airtel.
Under this agreement, Airtel gets to use Liquid Telecom’s terrestrial fibre network to connect its mobile base stations and enterprises. Bharti Airtel is eyeing faster Internet access speeds on its 3G and 4G networks through this arrangement, something that is set to be achieved by tapping into Liquid Telecom’s extensive fibre network.
In terms of network support, the arrangement is similar to what Liquid Telecom has extended to operators like Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and so far it has facilitated services like the Econet WiFi Zones which relieve congestion on the telecoms operator’s main network.
The Liquid Telecom/Airtel arrangement has however, been pinned on 3G and 4G network support, something that dovetails with Airtel’s investment in 4G services for different markets like Kenya and Zambia.
This agreement effectively allows Airtel operations to lean on Liquid Telecom’s fibre network across East, Central and Southern Africa, which extends to purpose-built fibre infrastructure and connects Airtel’s mobile base stations and enterprise customers with fibre.
For Liquid Telecom, this marks yet another relationship with a major telecoms operator following a partnership with MTN Business for enterprises services provision.
Liquid Telecom has over 20,000 km of fibre infrastructure in 9 African countries and 6 of these territories, DRC, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia are part of Bharti Airtel’s 17 country footprint in Africa.
6 comments
u see? I told yuh that Mr mandiwanzira failed to sweet talk Econet/liquid , money talks business . let ths b a lesson to our minister hazvidi kumanikidza izvi. airtel zvayo zvaita
Mandiwanzira is not aware of modern telco business trends. Zvake ndezveginya kunzi tiri kutongwa saka motoita zvatinenge tareva, even if it means killing your tax base because of too much ego. Kwahi zvarehwa nahonourable hazvipikiswe.
This is what business promotion is all about. Is there any government minister involved in all this at the forefront? You do not get this type here in Zim because.
1. Lack of business vision
We have all telco talking about expanding their customer base, but they are not aggressively expanding their backbone networks. Everyone is talking about building base stations etc. But how do you make them more efficient?
Only Liquid Tel had the vision and finance to lay fibre on the ground and now its there for all to see.
It will not surprise me if our gvt start to increase or charge tax on fibre on the ground. And all other MNO, what do they have in terms fibre infrastructure?
2. Too much government interference in private business
Our gvt is a player and referee at the same time. They are involved in business thereby competing with the same people they are suppose to be promoting and protecting.
This has led to some policies being viewed as biased whenever gvt owned telcos looks being left out.
3. PHD
In recent news outlets, it was getting personal when EW decided to pull out of the infrastructure sharing talks. There was mention that the order was coming direct from Strive, this is no surprising considering that everything is personalised in this country.
When one wants to destroy or takeover a business here in Zim, one is labelled all sorts on names, unpatriotic, sellout, traitor etc. Anyone remember the days of banking crisis and Gono was incharge!!
4. Greedy
Laws are promoted which are opposite of growing business. Even though some are sound laws, a lot are bent to suit those in the corridors of power which lead to companies being grabbed for nothing, and being stripped of anything worth selling.
And here in Zimbabwe they will share infrastructure whether they like it or not in terms of our new regulations
Just like we took our land back wether they liked it or not 😉
I wonder why Internet is so cheap in Rwanda?