(Ecofin Agency) - Paratus is stepping up investments in its network infrastructure to meet the accelerating demand for high-speed connectivity in Africa. Last week the company signed a partnership with OneWeb to build a teleport in Luanda, Angola.

Paratus Zambia, a subsidiary of pan-African broadband connectivity group Paratus, announces an agreement with Meta to build  a 900-kilometer open-access metropolitan fiber network across ten cities in Zambia. The project aims to improve the quality of high-speed Internet connectivity in the cities concerned.

The project will be implemented in two phases, we learn. The first phase will be completed by January 2023, bringing fiber to six cities. The second phase is expected to connect the remaining four cities by the end of 2023. The network will be based on Paratus' existing fiber infrastructure in Zambia. It will also be connected to Paratus' neutral data center in Lusaka.

The investment is part of Paratus’ strategy, which aims to "transform Africa through exceptional digital infrastructure and customer service.” It comes in a context marked by low internet usage in Zambia, despite growing demand and accelerated digital transformation.  According to the country’s regulator, in the second quarter of 2022, the internet penetration rate was just about 53%, representing some 10 million Zambians connected to the internet.

Ultimately, the project is expected to create about 500 jobs for local Zambian communities, and improve Paratus' infrastructure and network coverage and quality of service, among other benefits. " These metro networks are critical to building digital communities and helping businesses evolve, particularly in under-connected communities," said Nomonde Gongxeka-Seopa, Meta's Head of Public Policy in Southern Africa.

Isaac K. Kassouwi