• TTCL-DRC talks on NICTBB Lake Tanganyika extension details undisclosed publicly under 2023 NDA. 
• DRC is final target in PIDA's global initiative linking Great Lakes nations (Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda). Tanganyika fiber completes East-West corridor, enhancing resilient data flows across Africa for integration. 
• Eastern DRC's mining sector ($10B+) expected to gain from the 186km fiber: real-time analytics, 50% cost cuts via low latency.

Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) held talks on plans to extend Tanzania’s National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) into the DRC through an underwater fiber link across Lake Tanganyika, connecting Kigoma in Tanzania to Kalemie in DRC. The meeting, held at the Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation (TTCL) headquarters in Dar es Salaam, brought together senior delegations from both countries. TTCL Director General Moremi Marwa and Eng. Leo Magomba, Director of ICT Infrastructure at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, led the Tanzanian team. SOCOF Director General Prosper Ghislain headed the DRC delegation.

“This strategic project is expected to significantly boost digital transformation in the DRC, contributing to the growth of its digital economy,” TTCL said in a statement following the meeting. 

The African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), in its 2nd PIDA Priority Action Plan (2021–2030) Projects Prospectus, recognizes Tanzania’s National ICT Broadband Backbone as a transformative infrastructure driving regional digital integration.

According to the report, the backbone—stretching over 7,910 kilometres—already connects Tanzania to six neighbouring countries: Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. The planned extension to the DRC through Lake Tanganyika is well underway, with environmental and technical assessments currently guiding the project’s design phase.

The proposed cable, spanning 160-186 kilometers, will utilize G.652D single-mode fiber optic technology capable of initial 100 Gbps capacity, expandable to terabits. It addresses the lake's challenges, including depths up to 1,470 meters and seismic risks along the East African Rift, through specialized burial techniques and environmental safeguards. Joint studies by TTCL and DRC's Société Congolaise des Postes et Télécommunications (SCPT) ensure compliance with Ramsar Convention protections for the lake's biodiversity.

This extension will provide the DRC's eastern provinces with reliable, low-latency internet, reducing bandwidth costs by up to 50% from current satellite-dependent rates. It supports key sectors like mining data analytics and e-commerce, potentially adding $1-2 billion in regional trade value over the next decade. For Tanzania, it opens new revenue streams from bandwidth leasing, strengthening its role as East Africa's digital gateway.

Implementation is slated to begin construction in early 2026, following final EIA approvals, with full operations targeted for late 2027. The project, estimated at $15-20 million, involves public-private partnerships including Mauritius-based Bandwidth and Cloud Services Group for technical expertise. Officials from both nations committed to quarterly reviews to accelerate timelines and mitigate funding risks.

Hikmatu Bilali, Edited by Idriss Linge