Kenyan broadband provider Jamii Telecom Ltd (JTL) has announced that it has signed a KES1.2 billion (USD14.3 million) deal with Chinese equipment manufacturer ZTE to connect 100,000 homes to its fibre-optic network, making it the first ISP in the country to connect residential subscribers directly to fibre. According to Business Daily, the initial phase of the fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) rollout will take place in Nairobi, with the following districts earmarked for connectivity: Karen, Lavington, Parklands, Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Lang’ata, South B, Nyayo Estate Embakasi, Gigiri and Runda.
The project, which is expected to take two years to fully implement, will extend FTTH connectivity to the cities of Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret and Nyeri in due course. The ISP has indicated that it is targeting areas with clear architectural planning and convenient access roads, enabling better mapping of the project. ZTE has already connected JTL's network to apartments in the Kilimani district, where the FTTH pilot test took place. Joshua Chepkwony, chairman of JTL, commented: 'The future of the telecoms industry is in data, and mainly catalysed by the younger generation in the age bracket of between 25 to 40 years. That is whom the industry is targeting now'.
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