There is news that Safaricom, Jamii Telecomms and Wananchi Group will be leasing Fibre optic line from Kenya Power Lighting Company (KPLC) pair running the 500 km Mombasa – Nairobi.
KPLC says that they have for the rent of the fibre optic, the Nairobi Mombasa route is $32 (Sh2400) per pair per kilometre per month which for 20 years translates to $ 3.9 Million (Sh288 million).
The lease floated last year were in two categories, one for 15 years described as Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) which required the bidder to pay upfront. The other was a five year lease payable bi-annually and renewable after the five year period. Safaricom made a request for 20 years which was accepted by KPLC.
KPLC last year commenced the installation of about 1,500 kms of high quality fibre optic cable on its countrywide transmission network primarily for its own use as part of the implementation of a $ 25 Million (Sh1.9 billion) System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) project. The cable grid has a capacity of 48 fibres out of which KPLC will utilise 12 fibres for its communications needs.
18 more pairs are available to any firm that is licensed to provide telecommunications services in Kenya and Uganda as the network also extends to Tororo. Extra capacity will be also available on the Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret-Tororo; Eldoret-Kisumu; and Nairobi-Kiganjo-Nanyuki routes.
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