TechPression

Tag: fibre optic

  • Canalbox unveils fibre optic internet in Uganda

    Canalbox unveils fibre optic internet in Uganda

    In Uganda, CanalBox, a new broadband Internet service provider, has formally opened for business after investing approximately Shs50 billion, or $13.5 million, during the previous 11 months.

    The initiative, which was created by Group Vivendi Africa (GVA), a Vivendi subsidiary dedicated to providing Internet access throughout the continent, intends to significantly increase Internet penetration in Uganda by connecting 500,000 houses in Kampala and Wakiso to its services in three to four years.

    Light pulses are used in CanalBox’s fibre optic Internet to transmit data, providing more efficient and reliable coverage.

    Read also: TelCables unleashes 800 Gbps network in South Africa

    Unlocking the potential of CanalBox broadband in Uganda

    With its low cost, CanalBox’s new broadband service is poised to change internet access in Uganda completely. To accommodate various demands and financial constraints, the service provides two plans.

    It is an incredible price of UGX 110,000 ($29.79) per month; the “Start” plan is ideal for light users as it offers a dependable connection. The “Premium” plan costs UGX 200,000 ($54.17) per month for individuals who require more incredible speed and bandwidth.

    The notable thing about these rates is that they are five times less expensive than the going rates, which opens up higher accessibility to high-speed internet for a larger group of people.

    It is anticipated that Ugandans’ employment, learning, and interpersonal interactions will change due to this significant price decrease.

    The Managing Director of GVA, Jean-François Duboy, stated that the objective of the Internet provider is to democratise broadband Internet access through fibre.

    He highlighted that with its competitive pricing, speed, and value, CanalBox will have a transformative impact, enabling many Ugandan families to access high-speed internet in their homes.

    Read also: Intelvision’s role in Seychelles’ Telecom

    The Future of Education: Government and GVA collaboration

    Thomas Tayebwa, the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, announced that the government is committed to supporting efforts to increase broadband penetration as part of its Vision 2040 initiative. He expressed his appreciation for GVA’s long-term investments in fibre optic infrastructure.

    To facilitate youngsters in Wakiso and the neighbouring areas’ access to online learning resources, Tayebwa further encouraged the ISP to guarantee zero-rate access to all educational websites.

    This request aligns with the nation’s recent efforts to create digital model villages and introduce iris verification to increase security.

    These initiatives highlight the government’s deliberate efforts to usher in a transformative era in Uganda.

    Vivendi states that it has entered the media, communications, and content spaces since 2014, acquiring businesses such as Lagardère, Havas, Prisma Media, Canal+ Group, and Gameloft.

    After deploying more than 5,000 fibre Internet connections in the last 11 months, GVA has given Kampala, the 13th city, and Uganda, the 8th African nation, access to CanalBox.

  • Stakeholders decry multiple levies threatening FGN’s fibre optic project

    Stakeholders decry multiple levies threatening FGN’s fibre optic project

    Nigeria’s planned 90,000-kilometer fibre project would not be successful unless the state government were prepared to assume responsibility and stop using the right-of-way (RoW) to generate internal money.

    Stakeholders in the telecom sector held this position during the most recent Policy Implementation Assisted Forum, which was held in Lagos for its sixth edition.

    The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) started negotiations with the World Bank last month and approved the creation of a special-purpose vehicle to facilitate the delivery of the fibre optic cable.

    Read also: TelCables unleashes 800 Gbps network in South Africa

    Project to become Africa’s third-longest terrestrial fibre optic backbone

    With this project, Nigeria would have the third-longest terrestrial fibre optic backbone in Africa, after South Africa and Egypt, with a capacity increase from 35,000 km to 125,000 km.

    The Federal Government’s goals are frequently thwarted by inadequate state execution, as governors prioritise income creation over the advancement of the digital economy, according to Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licenced Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria.

    “The government has always developed sound policies; the main issue is their execution, especially when tested in remote locations. Governors will travel to Abuja and declare, “I will grant the right of way in my state at no cost,” according to Adebayo.

    Given that the fibre project has the potential to propel Nigeria’s economic growth and digital transformation, he asked state governments to take a more cooperative stance.

    State government policies frustrating fibre optic project 

    “In such a state, you might be granted free access or for one naira, but you’ll also be assessed fees for education, state effect, ecosystem, and development. These total more than the RoW charges when added together. Who’s playing whom, then?” he asked.

    According to Chidi Ajuzie, Group Chief Operating Officer of WTES Projects Limited, the main obstacle to installing fibre cable in Nigeria is informal RoW charges made by thugs.

    While some governments have formalised their systems for determining rights of way, Ajuzie lamented that unofficial demands made by thugs and local self-declared landowners were complicating matters and impeding the installation of sufficient internet equipment.

    Ajuzie’s worries draw attention to the necessity of a formal, consistent process for granting rights of way (RoW) across states to expedite the installation of vital fibre optic infrastructure and assist Nigeria’s objectives for digital transformation.

    Read also: Google launches Umoja fibre optic cable, connecting Africa to Australia

    Address current challenges – Chidi

    The Executive Director of Broadbased Communications, Chidi Ibisi, presented a paper on “Harmonising Nigeria’s Fibre Deployment Strategies for Effective Implementation.” Ibisi stated that although the government’s SPV initiative was an excellent plan to help the country bridge its digital infrastructure gap, the government would need to address current challenges.

    He stated that for this new SPV programme to be effective, “the issues of the high cost of RoW, the destruction of fibre by road construction companies, and vandals all need to be addressed.”

    PIAF chairperson Omobayo Azeez stated that the conference’s goal was to establish a venue for discourse that would allow stakeholders in the digital economy from the public and private sectors to collaborate and share ideas.