Powertel invests US$5,5m in dual gateway into SA

TELECOM firm, Powertel Communications, has invested more than US$5,5 million into building a dual gateway between Zimbabwe and South Africa to boost network connectivity locally, NewsDay Business can report.

A dual gateway refers to a setup where two internet gateways are used to manage and route traffic between a local network and the wider internet.

Powertel is an ICT subsidiary of Zimbabwe’s power utility firm, Zesa Holdings.

In an interview yesterday, Powertel acting managing director Willard Nyagwande said the investment was part of a broader plan to improve efficiencies and provide affordable connectivity.

“In terms of investment, remember our brand is 25 years old. We have continued to invest in fibre technology, wireless technology and geo technology,” he said.

“This year, we have invested more than US$5,5 million in building another gateway, a dual gateway into South Africa through Beitbridge in trying to embrace our redundancy [in case] Mozambique, Beitbridge or Plumtree are down. As you know, in Zimbabwe, internet is very affordable through Beitbridge, so we have invested more than US$5,5 million and that link is almost done.”

He added that they had also invested an additional US$2 million towards technologies.

“So, we have also acquired our own technologies, not borrowed technologies,” Nyagwande said.

He added that they had also invested millions into the network to allow for the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) to connect miners such as Dinson Iron and Steel Company and Bikita Minerals.

“We recently powered up Bikita Minerals and as we speak now, they are both electrified and ‘datafied’ by ZETDC and Powertel, enjoying speeds of more than 100 gigabites per second so that is our relationship. So, if we put that investment combined, it is a lot,” Nyagwande said.

The investment by Powertel comes when industry and commerce are pushing for information and communication technologies to play a key role in driving the National Development Strategy 1 and Vision 2030 agenda.

Nyagwande said the firm was on a drive to initiate a turnaround at the organisation.

This, he continued, has included recently introduced managed solutions, data centre services and cloud solutions and other expansion programmes anchored around exploitation and exploration.

According to Powertel’s network investment road map, up to US$355 million will be invested into fixed access, while over US$50 million will go to long-term evolution, fifth-generation internet and the national backbone network.-newsda