Kenya: Liquid Telecom Establishes New Fiber Network Linking Kenya and Ethiopia

Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a subsidiary of the Pan-African technology group Cassava Technologies, is forging a connection between Kenya and Ethiopia via a fully redundant terrestrial route to enhance internet connectivity between these two nations.

This 1,000-kilometer fiber link aims to grant businesses in both countries access to data centers and the cloud, ensuring that data remains within the African continent.

An additional 711 kilometers of fiber will establish a direct and reliable connection between Zambia and Malawi, linking to content caches and data centers in South Africa.

Through this initiative, Liquid intends to stimulate African growth by building a fiber backbone that offers cost-effective regional internet connectivity, thereby promoting digital transformation.

“Kenyan and Ethiopian businesses are rapidly embracing digital technologies, and this new link will facilitate trade and investment between these two influential nations in our region,” noted Adil El Youssefi, CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies for the Rest of Africa.

“For Liquid Kenya, we recognize the growing demand catalyzed by the Kenya Kwanza Government’s Digital Superhighway Initiative, and this newly lit 1,000 kilometers of fiber represents our initial contribution to private sector investment in this flagship project,” Youssefi added.

This project is a collaboration with the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO) and Ethiopia Electric Power (EEP) and will provide a capacity of four terabytes per second.

It will complement existing terrestrial routes along the border, enhancing carrier-grade connectivity on the Kenya-Ethiopia route and facilitating the rapid expansion of data traffic along this vital corridor.

“All endeavors undertaken by companies within Cassava Technologies are aimed at realizing our vision of a digitally connected future that includes all Africans,” stated Hardy Pemhiwa, President and Group CEO of Cassava Technologies.

“The completion of these fiber links marks another significant achievement for Liquid as it continues to lay the groundwork for economic growth by increasing access to high-speed connectivity,” Pemhiwa emphasized.

This fiber network will deliver improved connectivity performance and accessibility to previously underserved areas such as Suswa, Sereolipi, Ndaragwa, Marsabit, Nairobi, and Mega in both Kenya and Ethiopia.