Tanzania Telecommunications Corporation (TTLC) and Kenya’s ICT Authority (ICTA) have jointly implemented and launched a new terrestrial fibre link connecting Dar es Salaam to Mombasa, enhancing regional digital resilience and connectivity.
For Tanzania, which currently has international access via three subsea cables at Dar es Salaam, the new terrestrial route provides an alternative path linked to Kenya’s eight subsea cables. This link ensures Tanzania remains digitally connected even if issues arise at its marine landing stations.
Speaking at the launch ceremony near the Lunga Lunga/Horohoro border, Tanzania’s Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology, Jerry William Silaa, highlighted that Tanzania is now digitally connected with six neighboring countries: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, and Mozambique. Plans are also in motion to extend the national fibre network to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (MICDE) stated that the link will significantly enhance digital connectivity throughout East Africa. MICDE Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau noted that the new fibre infrastructure will stimulate cross-border trade, foster regional e-commerce, and help bridge the digital divide beyond national boundaries.
Kabogo emphasized that regional cooperation is crucial for strengthening policy and regulatory frameworks to secure networks and govern the growing digital ecosystem in both countries.
