TANZANIA – Tanzania Telecommunications Company Limited (TTCL), the oldest and largest fixed line telecommunications company in Tanzania, will roll out a high-speed fibre optic cable network to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states.

Dr Hassan Abbas, Director of Tanzania Information Services Department and chief government spokesperson, said that the public telecoms company had completed the project to roll out the fibre optic cable to two SADC member states, that is Zambia and Malawi.

“TTCL continues rolling out the fibre optic cable network to SADC member states that has already reached to Zambia and Malawi,” he said.

According to Southern Times, the fibre optic cable network will serve as a foundation for SADC member states to foster digital economy. The infrastructure is critical to ensure an increase in the use and access to the internet.

Catalysing industrial growth

Dr Abbas, who was briefing reporters on the implementation of the government’s programmes and projects until August, noted further that the Medical Stores Department (MSD) had finalised a system to supply medicine to SADC member states.

SADC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MSD on the provision of the SADC Pooled Procurement Services (SPPS) for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies last year.

Meanwhile As, Dr Abbas noted that the government had announced a tender to import 22 locomotives and a 60-passenger train for the much-awaited SGR operations between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro expected to start in December.

He said the government had started importing five electric multiple units (EMUs) and two locomotives for SGR operations between Dar es Salaam and Morogoro, saying each EMU had an eight-passenger train.

Dr Abbas further said the construction of Ubungo Interchange, which will improve traffic flows, had been implemented by 50 percent, saying the World Bank (WB)-funded project would be completed by 2020.

“The project will be complete and handed over to the government by next year,” he noted.

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is a Regional Economic Community comprising 16 Member States; Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Established in 1992, SADC is committed to Regional Integration and poverty eradication within Southern Africa through economic development and ensuring peace and security.