Technology

Liquid Telecom connects Garissa to high speed internet

cable

Fibre cables: Garissa becomes the 39th county headquarter to be linked to the firm’s high speed Internet network. PHOTO | FILE

UK-based technology firm Liquid Telecom has completed a 21-kilometre fibre optic ring in the Garissa Central Business District, making it the 39th County headquarter to be linked to the firm’s high speed Internet network.

The network includes a second metro ring to ensure continuous service in the event of any cable cuts and has been built onwards from the company’s long-distance fibre connection running from Thika to Dabaab.

Liquid Telecom joins other firms such as Safaricom and Jamii Telecom that have invested heavily in fibre optic in the counties.

The company said in a statement that it is targeting the county government, higher learning institutions and commercial banks with the infrastructure.

“Until now, the county didn’t have a fibre network connecting businesses in the town. But providing high speed connections to Garissa’s businesses is in line with our vision of generating economic growth across the country through more comprehensive infrastructure,” said Liquid Telecom CEO Ben Roberts.

“The value of the Liquid Telecom infrastructure goes beyond the better speeds. All of our systems are built with automatic back up to prevent service interruptions,” he added.

The project in Garissa, which took four months to complete, has so far reached over 30 clients with another 74 connections in the pipeline.

Customers on the company's network in Garissa include Equity Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank, the Kenya Red Cross, the Garissa County government and the town’s various universities and colleges.

New and existing clients previously on Liquid Telecom’s microwave and VSAT networks in Garissa have already been migrated to the high-speed fibre network.

Liquid Telecom says it has installed over 20,000km of fibre across Africa and continues to lay 100km per week.

READ: MTN, Liquid Telecoms sign Africa Internet connection deal