Paratus Zambia is supporting business potential by expanding its fiber and microwave infrastructure in the north of the country to provide businesses with the quality connections they need. 

Copperbelt to Congo

Refineries and mines between Kitwe and Chambishi have driven demand for increased reliable network coverage in Zambia’s Copperbelt region. Paratus Zambia has answered the call from its customers and is currently rolling out its fiber and microwave links to not only cover the Copperbelt mining area but also to extend the route to the border with Democratic Repubic of Congo (DRC).  After the DRC, Zambia is the second largest copper mining country in Africa and is highly dependent on mining as its major productive industry, with the extractives sector contributing about 10% to the country’s GDP. In 2019, the country’s mining sector accounted for 28% of the government’s revenues and 77% of export earnings, with copper accounting for over 90% of the sector’s exports, according to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s Zambia EITI Report 2019 (Source:  www.spglobal.com)

Paratus Zambia Country Manager, Marius van Vuuren adds:  “The Copperbelt is vitally important to the country’s economy. As we service one of the country’s largest copper producers, we have taken the initiative and are now leading the charge to deliver quality connections in the area and  extending our coverage where it is most needed.  Our strategy of thinking big will see this route being extended to the Congo border with a link back to our fiber ring in Lusaka.

“We now have a full microwave and fiber solution in the region. Our clients in Chambishi are benefitting from this network which will soon be extended to Kitwe. Furthermore  we have the capability to cater for any business in the region that also needs a high quality, fast and secure network connection – with unrivalled uptime and 24/7 technical support. ”  

Expansion in the east

Paratus Zambia is providing microwave connectivity in Mfuwe, in the eastern province. Having researched and visited businesses in the area, Paratus Zambia was made fully aware of the challenges facing these businesses in terms of connectivity and customer service. “To address these challenges, we created and rolled out a robust network solution to cover most of the area”, explains van Vuuren. “Our commitment is to be always prepared to provide industry sectors with what they need to be able to run their businesses at optimum efficiency and speed. We are driven by what our customers need, no matter where they are in the country.”

In 2019 Paratus activated additional capacity on the WACS (West Africa Cable System) cable from Namibia to the Sesheke border. This high-speed data highway coupled with the Lusaka and Copperbelt fiber rings offer more network capacity and redundancy. With its robust fiber backbone and international reach, Paratus Zambia provides next-generation digital solutions, allowing Zambian businesses to not only keep in touch and operate at optimal capacity but also to stay ahead of the game. Through owning the digital value chain, Paratus Zambia manages the connection at every point to deliver an unlimited and unbroken quality network.

An independent, end-to-end connectivity provider, Paratus Zambia manages and operates its own network. The launch of its 100 Gig Metro Fiber Ring in Lusaka recently was another development in the operator’s expansion strategy to meet Zambia’s need for a stable, always on and reliable network. For data hungry software, processes, and applications, the Paratus fiber ring meets the demand for delivering unlimited bandwidth to business and industry.