The mobile operator Safaricom, a leader in the national telecoms market, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the electricity distribution company Kenya Power. The Capital Fm news site indicates that the collaboration between the two companies relates to the realization of a pilot project of deployment of the optical fiber through the electrical distribution network to bring the broadband Internet to the populations, at home. The 12-month pilot project targets more than 12,000 houses located in residential areas and around Nairobi.
Safaricom, which has already deployed 3,200 kilometers of accessible optical fiber in 7,000 homes, will also lease additional broadband infrastructure built and owned by Kenya Power to further increase its capacity for providing broadband at home. According to Ben Chumo, chief executive officer of Kenya Power, the company already owns and operates more than 4,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables in Kenya.
“By taking advantage of Kenya Power’s electrical infrastructure, we will not only be able to accelerate the speed of home connection, we will meet the challenges encountered in the deployment of broadband services and reduce the inconvenience caused to Kenyans when we are forced to dig trenches to build an underground fiber optic cable network, ”said Bob Collymore (photo), CEO of Safaricom.
Source: ecofin agency
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