Huawei Technologies has launched the construction of phase 2 of Sierra Leone’s fiber optic network. The site which is still at the level of civil engineering will last 2 years. On September 28, he was inspected by the Ministry of Information and Communications. 

Construction work on the second phase of Sierra Leone’s national fiber optic network has started. They follow the receipt by the government on April 24 of the related technical equipment. The Ministry of Information and Communications and Sierra Leone Cable Limited (SALCAB) carried out an inspection visit to the site in Moyamba on September 28, 2020.

Carried out by Huawei Technologies, the second phase of the network is expected to be completed in two years. It is financed by the Chinese government with a loan of USD 30 million. It aims to complete the connection of the first 14 districts of the country to the fiber optic backbone.

According to Mohamed M. Jalloh, the acting director of communications at the Ministry of Information and Communications, the inspection of the various project sites made it possible to assess the level of progress of the site.

Nana Yaw Amoako, project manager at Huawei Technologies, said civil works have started. Once this work is completed, the next step will be the installation of other equipment and the introduction of fiber optic cables inside the high definition power pipes.

The installation of the fiber backbone, when completed, will help Sierra Leoneans access better quality connectivity. For the country, this investment will help generate income that will improve its gross domestic product.

Source: Agence Ecofin