- Home grown solutions are coming into play.
Mbabane – The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) and the Eswatini Posts and Telecommunications Company (EPTC) have collaborated and successfully completed their optical fiber sharing agreement that will benefit the country in terms of improving telecommunications connectivity with the world.
Fiber optics, or optical fiber, refers to the technology that transmits information as light pulses along a glass or plastic fiber. Fiber optic cables are commonly used because of their advantages over copper cables and they are used for long-distance and high-performance data networking.
EEC Managing Director Ernest Mkhonta, when making his remarks during the launch of the partnership between the two entities at the Hilton Hotel “said in 2018, EPTC made a request to utilise the EEC fibre infrastructure. He stated that they made the request with the view of connecting to Matsapha EPTC exchange Camnden, South Africa via Motraco, Matsapha EPTC exchange to KM III International Airport and Mbabane EPTC exchange to Matsapha EPTC exchange.
“The first commercial operation occurred in October 2021 with traffic connected to the world via Camnden South Africa. The two entities are currently looking at extending the infrastructure sharing to cover connectivity to the Sea cables in Mozambique through the Motraco network and extend the fiber to the home for local customers and to facilitate smart networks,” he said.
The collaboration was warmly received by both the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy.
EPTC Managing Director Themba Khumalo said the company is ready to support EEC on its ongoing modernisation projects as its ICT partner of choice. “We are part of global economy with growing global interdependence. Our solutions and technology must enable the market to seamlessly exploit ICT for economic growth. Every connected business/home is a joint customer of EEC and EPTC”.
The Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Natural Resources Dorcas Dlamini, who was representing the Minister, said they are pleased to see the collaboration between EEC and the EPTC in providing reliable and high-speed communication systems to enable the ICT environment in the country.
“It demonstrates that we can do more if we work together. What is pleasing the most is that it is a home-grown solution. Their Majesties and Government promote collaboration between entities to provide excellent services at minimum cost to the consumer”.
ICT PS Maxwell Masuku, who was representing the Minister Her Royal Highness Princess Sikhanyiso, said the signed agreement between EPTC and EEC is a significant milestone in the development of a national broadband network for the Kingdom of Eswatini.
He said this demonstrateed the power of synergies between important public enterprises in the delivery of the Ministry of ICT’s objective for the development of the national broadband infrastructure.
“In this regard, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Minister of Natural Resources for welcoming and supporting this powerful partnership between these two Public Enterprises. This is a good model that must be emulated by both private and public entities in the effort to achieve better development efficiencies.”
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