Tanzanian, Chinese firms sign contract for extension of national ICT broadband infrastructure

DAR ES SALAAM, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's state-run telecom company on Monday signed a contract with Chinese tech giant Huawei for the extension of the National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB) to 23 districts in the East African nation.

The contract was signed between Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation Executive Director Peter Ulanga and Huawei Tanzania Managing Director Damon Zhang in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania.

Ulanga said the extension of the project will involve 23 districts, covering 1,520 km with a view to intensifying internet access in the country. He stressed that the extension of the project was another step toward government efforts to promote the use of ICT (information and communications technology) in the country.

"Upon completion of the project, it will help end communication challenges that the 23 districts have been facing," said Ulanga.

"The move to connect all districts in the country with the NICTBB is in line with plans to make Tanzania a communication hub in the African region," said Minister of Information, Communication and Information Technology Nape Nnauye.

Zhang said the company's commitment to partnering with the Tanzanian side is a result of their realization that infrastructure is of paramount importance in the development of the communications sector in the country.

The government of Tanzania has constructed the NICTBB, connecting all regions in the country and providing cross-border connectivity to Zambia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi.