New East Africa Fibre Link Connects Dar es Salaam and Mombasa in Push for Cross-Border Connectivity
The terrestrial fibre route offers a critical backup to subsea cables while strengthening digital and trade integration across East Africa.
PHOTO | FILE
Tanzania and Kenya have officially activated a new terrestrial fibre optic link between Dar es Salaam and Mombasa, boosting regional connectivity and digital resilience.
Backup for Subsea Cables
Dar es Salaam currently connects to three international subsea cables. However, this new land-based connection taps into Kenya’s eight cable landing points, providing a crucial backup in case of marine cable disruptions.
“This route ensures Tanzania remains digitally connected even if there’s an issue at our marine landing stations,” said Jerry William Silaa, Tanzania’s Minister for Information, Communication and Information Technology.
The launch event took place on Friday at the Lunga Lunga/Horohoro border.
Expanding Regional Connectivity
According to Tanzania’s Daily News, Silaa revealed that Tanzania’s fibre network now connects six neighboring countries: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, and Mozambique. He also hinted at plans to extend the grid to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Kenya Hails the Regional Milestone
Kenya’s Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy welcomed the new fibre link as a step forward for regional integration. Cabinet Secretary William Kabogo Gitau emphasized the role of digital infrastructure in enabling cross-border trade and collaboration.
“It’s not just about infrastructure. We’re creating a shared foundation for secure networks and collaborative regulation,” Kabogo said.
Building a Connected East Africa
The new fibre link is part of a broader push to improve digital infrastructure across East Africa. Stronger regional connections will not only support internet resilience but also fuel e-commerce growth and smarter policy alignment.
With initiatives like this, East Africa is moving closer to becoming a more digitally inclusive and economically connected bloc.
For the latest updates on technology and digital infrastructure in Kenya and East Africa, visit The Star News.
