TANZANIA AND KENYA BOOSTS INTERNET RESILIENCE WITH CROSS-BORDER FIBRE LINK

Tanzania and Kenya launch high-speed cross-border fibre link to boost connectivity and regional integration.

Kenya Tanzania Connectivity Regional integration Cross-border Africa Redundancy route National optic fibre cable networks.
Tanzania and Kenya launch high-speed redundancy route for their National Optic Fibre Cable networks
Tanzania and Kenya launch high-speed redundancy route for their National Optic Fibre Cable networks



In a major stride toward building a seamless digital ecosystem across East Africa, Tanzania and Kenya have jointly launched a high-speed redundancy route for their National Optic Fibre Cable networks, reinforcing the region’s internet resilience and digital sovereignty.

The new link, unveiled at the Horohoro border post, not only strengthens bilateral cooperation but also signals the emergence of a truly interconnected East African digital corridor. With this initiative, Tanzania gains a strategic backup connection via Kenya’s eight undersea cables, mitigating the risks posed by potential disruptions at Dar es Salaam’s marine landing stations.

“This route guarantees that Tanzania remains digitally connected, even if there are issues with our marine landing stations in Dar es Salaam,” said Tanzania’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Jerry Silaa. “It enhances regional data connectivity and enables faster, more reliable internet services across East and Central Africa.”

With the enhanced infrastructure, Tanzania is now digitally connected to six neighbouring nations: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, and Mozambique, positioning the country as a digital hub and gateway for East and Central Africa. Plans are also underway to extend the network to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), further amplifying the cross-border reach.

Kenya’s Minister for Information, Communications and Digital Economy, William Kabogo Gitau, echoed the transformative vision behind the project. “This is more than fibre, it’s a signal of East Africa’s shared ambition for a tech-powered future. Together, we’re laying the groundwork for a continental digital network that can compete globally.”

Gitau also proposed the development of Horohoro into a smart border post to enable real-time data exchange between the two countries, an idea that underscores the growing push for harmonised digital governance and collaboration.

The redundancy route, operating at a formidable 1.6 terabits per second, is among the fastest in the region. According to Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation (TTCL) Director General Moremi Marwa, the new fibre link builds on a vision dating back to 2005 to make Tanzania a regional ICT powerhouse. The broader National Optical Fibre Cable project, initiated in 2009, now spans over 13,820 kilometres and reaches 109 districts, with plans to expand to 30 more by the end of the financial year.

Marwa noted that several Kenyan companies are already using the new connection and urged Tanzanian telecom operators to follow suit and capitalise on the enhanced capacity.

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