Malawi’s National Fibre Backbone Works Project Progressing

Implementation of Malawi’s  US$23 million National Fibre Backbone Project is progressing well says Government.

Speaking during a sensitization meeting with journalists  under the Nyika Media Club in Mzuzu, Northern Malawi, on Wednesday, Minister of Information Communication and Technology Nicholas Dausi said laying of the fiber backbone in Chitipa has already commenced.

“Almost all the equipment is here. I just visited the sites in Chitipa and other areas where they have began to lay the fiber,” Said Dausi.

The Project which is being implemented by Huawei Technologies and Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM)  in all 28 of Malawi’s districts was launched by Malawi’s President, Peter Mutharika  on Apr 30 this year.

According to Dausi, once completed the National Fiber Backbone  is expected to drastically reduce the cost of the last mile connection to all areas of Malawi including rural areas. The Fiber Backbone Project is  aimed at supporting the implementation of Malawi’s e-government system where education, health, agriculture and other vital sectors are currently undergoing a digitalization process.

“ Once finalized, the Initiative will create a platform for Internet connectivity and provide the needed broadband to support e-health, e-education and the entire e-government system, " said Dausi. 

The Information Minister  added that after the roll-out of the Fiber Backbone Project, the Government will commence registration of sim cards on both TNM and Airtel in a bid to track and  curb electronic theft  in mobile money transfers and extremism.

On his part President of the Nyika Media Club said  that there was need to train Malawian journalists in emerging issues such as cyber security to bridge the current knowledge gap among reporters.

The Malawi Government has since pledged to train journalists in ICT4D  alongside the roll of Project to enable reporters to accurately sensitize Malawians on how they can leverage on  the e-government system for  development.

Malawi is steadily registering an increased Internet penetration internet which is now at  6.8%, while mobile phone penetration has also increased to 38.3% in recent years. The Fiber Backbone Project is expected to accelerate internet penetration in both rural and urban Malawi which has been limited by the high costs of Internet.