Tanzania is reportedly in the process of entering into a contract with Uganda to build an alternative route for the undersea cable as the latter seeks to triumph over prevalent slow Internet speeds caused by recurrent cable breakdowns.
Nicodemus Mnungu, Commercial Executive of the Tanzania Telecommunication Company Limited (TTCL), said: “Uganda is connected to Kenya’s cables but it also wants to have an alternative route in case of inconveniences or breakdown.”
Mnungu added that the alternative broadband backbone will help Uganda widen Internet transmission and improve reliability.
Uganda would be leasing the circuits to transfer its Internet contents from Dar es Salaam to the Mtukula border and into Uganda to boost the connectivity. The tariffs for the connectivity will depend on connection and on how much bandwidth Uganda would be using through the circuit.
The announcement comes after Uganda’s government requested an international company to construct an alternative Internet cable for the country to end the ongoing connectivity issues experienced in the country.
“So far TTCL is also negotiating with Burundi, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique to be connected with TTCL Broadband which is the custodian of National Information and Communication Technology Back Bone (NICTBB) that would in turn get the countries connected to world,” Mnungu said.
Internet cafes and telecommunication companies are mostly affected when there is a disruption to Internet connectivity in Uganda.
Minister for Communications, Science and Technology Prof Makame Mbalawa said: “It could be wise for the neighboring countries to use the opportunity ahead of them because being connected with Tanzania’s bandwidth will greatly enhance the performance of their countries hence increase efficiency in different sectors of the economy.”
The two countries are still in negotiations and it is hoped that plans will be finalised by next year.
