Dandemutande invests US$8m in fibre optic newtwork

INTERNET Access Provider (IAP), Dandemutande Investments (Pvt) Limited says it invested US$8 million in establishing a national fibre backbone in 2023 as the entity continues to widen its footprint in the provision of reliable connectivity and information technology services in Zimbabwe.

The successful installation of the 861km of fibre optic infrastructure along the Beitbridge Harare railway line was accomplished in collaboration with Mauritius-headquartered wholesale telecom infrastructure provider, Bandwidth and Cloud Services Group (BCS).

The infrastructure expansion project is anticipated to further bolster Dandemutande’s position as an internet access provider in the local communications sector.

National fibre backbone is a critical component of a country’s internet infrastructure as it provides high-speed and reliable connectivity across the country, which enables individuals, businesses, and government to access the internet, transfer data, and communicate seamlessly.

This connectivity is essential for economic growth, innovation, and social development given its capacity to accommodate the adoption of technologies such as cloud computing, big data analytics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI).

Speaking during a media engagement, Dandemutande Chief Operating Officer, Mr Ignatius Mpando said the investment is a fundamental requirement for digital transformation technologies that have the potential to enhance productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness across various sectors.

“Development of infrastructure that delivers internet is at the core of Dandemutande as a connectivity company. We have operated on a leased capacity model as a business over the years and gone are the days.

“We have realised that we have to own, operate, and influence the delivery of internet connectivity for us to deliver good service to our customers

“To this end, we have seen the completion of Dandemutande national fibre backbone, working closely with Bandwidth and Cloud Services Group (BCS).

“We successfully installed 861 kilometres of fibre optic infrastructure along the Beitbridge Harare railway line, this represents an investment of US$8 million and this has expanded our footprint in the provision of reliable connectivity and information technology services in Zimbabwe,” said Mr Mpando.

The national fibre backbone initiative was coupled with the densification of metro fibre in Kwekwe, Bulawayo, and Mutare ensuring that the network is equipped to handle the growing demands of Zimbabwe’s digital economy.

“By expanding our footprint we have improved connectivity options for our customers in these areas.”

Tech expert Mr Weston Zvinairo said investments in national fibre backbone and metro fibre enhances the reliability of the network by reducing reliance on older or congested infrastructure.

He said spreading the load across a denser network, minimises the risk of network congestion or outages.

“Metro fibre densification addresses the growing demand for high-speed and reliable internet connectivity in urban areas. By deploying more fibre optic cables, the capacity of the network is expanded, allowing for the transfer of larger volumes of data at faster speeds.

“This is crucial to support the ever-increasing data requirements of businesses, institutions, and individuals,” he said.

In 2020 the Masawara Holdings subsidiary, set up the first public data cloud centre in the country as the IAP aligned its infrastructure to match the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).

4IR is characterized by the growing utilization of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, the Internet of Things, and advanced wireless technologies, among others.

Dandemutande has evolved into a converged ICT solutions provider with expertise in enterprise connectivity solutions that enable businesses to connect, more smoothly, with capacity to offer enterprise Wi-Fi to every industry and field, in sectors that include agriculture, mining, banking, and construction among others.

The telecommunications company has been an internet service provider since 1997 a period under which it has become the third-largest internet provider in the country after Liquid and TelOne, according to POTRAZ reports.

It is also the company behind Utande, the Internet Service Provider which acquired m-web and its vast clientele base.-herald.cl.zw