On 27 August 2024, Bayobab Kenya officially launched its National Long Distance (NLD) fibre network phase 2 which runs from Mombasa to Malaba and Busia primarily along the metre gauge railway line. The NLD 2 launch by the tier 2 Network provider is part of the vision to accelerate digital inclusion across markets in the region. Currently in Kenya, the company has completed 2,600 Km of fibre network and has plans to deploy another 700 Km.
In 2022, Bayobab Kenya’s National Long distance fibre phase 1 which runs along the Kenya Pipeline route from Mombasa to Malaba was activated.
In what is an example of good partnership between government agencies and private enterprises, the phase 2 National Long Distance Fibre project was granted wayleave by the Kenya Railways Corporation. The fibre network extends to Busia from Malaba via the highway under KeNHA wayleave. According to Bayobab Kenya’s Managing Director, Sylvia Anampiu, “NLD2 provides a redundant route to NLD 1”.
Bayobab Kenya Fibre NLD 1 and NLD 2 in Kenya
Bayobab Kenya primarily serves as a Layer 2 and IP Transit Provider (IPT). Bayobab Kenya’s Layer 2 services, also known as National Private Leased Circuit (NPLC), offer point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and any-to-any connectivity between customer sites over DWDM Technology. For example, if you want connection from Mombasa to Nairobi or Nairobi to Naivasha, you can leverage Layer 2 services from players like Bayobab Kenya who own infrastructure between the cities and towns.
An IPT provider is a network service provider that offers transit services to other internet service providers (ISPs). As an IP transit provider, providing essential connectivity infrastructure, Bayobab is the right partner for anyone looking to grow their existing ISP business or start an ISP business in Kenya. Bayobab IPT runs on 4 key undersea cables on the east coast guaranteeing high availability and most optimal speed to any content across the globe. The company has presence in all major data centres, cable landing stations, several towns and cities in Kenya.
Bayobab’s Future Plans
Notably, the recent Mombasa to Malaba National Long Distance Fibre launch is part of a bigger picture. Bayobab Group already has 125,000km of fibre running across Africa. It plans to expand this by 10,000 Km to reach 135,000 Km by end of 2025.
Bayobab’s vision is to connect East coast to west coast of Africa via the inland fiber backbone dabbed East to West. The NLD 2 launch marks a critical milestone in this vision. After NLD 2, the company plans to build an extension towards South Sudan, which will eventually reach the CAR.
“We already have some cable running across Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and expected to extend into DRC to the west coast of Africa at Pointe- Noire. This is our first East-West route, which we call the Northern route 1. There is a northern route 2 and southern route that our teams will be working on.”
Bayobab wants to offer terrestrial routes that provide redundancy to the subsea cables. Bayobab Kenya’s Managing Director was quick to remind everyone of the benefits of these new routes:
- Risk mitigation by offering alternative routes to avoid total service outages in events of disruptions
- Open access model driving wider reach, collaboration, efficiency and innovation
- Connecting underserved regions through high-capacity highway and bridging the digital divide
- Providing access to and enabling a vibrant Data Centre ecosystem
- Improving user experience for the end-to-end service
- Future focused by providing a strong foundation that enables the adoption of next-gen technologies and cutting-edge applications
The Mbuyu Connector Campaign
Bayobab draws its inspiration from the baobab tree called Mbuyu in Kiswahili. The tree is mainly found in Africa’s arid regions where it sustains itself by storing large volumes of water in its trunk. It bears an abundance of nutrient-rich, gourd-like fruit that provides sustenance for a host of living creatures, including people, who reverently call it “The Tree of Life”.
Although its trunk appears to be a singular structure, it is thousands of inter-connecting roots merged into one. Like the roots of the baobab that merge to form a single trunk, connecting the world to opportunities in Africa is found in the confluence of many strategic, global and local partnerships working in harmony. Thus goes the African proverb, “when there’s a big tree small ones climb on its back to reach the sun.”
Bayobab Kenya is at the forefront of being an enabler to ISPs seeking to expand in Kenya and the East African region. Bayobab Kenya recently ran a campaign dubbed The Mbuyu Connector Campaign which sought to find 3 ISPs with the most compelling proposals to increase FTTH connectivity and with highest impact. The Mbuyu Connector was to get Ksh. 1 Million for infrastructure support, the second one was to get 1G of either Layer 2 or IP Transit capacity while the third most compelling proposal was to get 0.5G of either Layer 2 or IP Transit capacity.
The Mbuyu Connector 2024 recognised 3 Kenyan ISPs with Ahadi Wireless which wants to grow connectivity in Kibera being selected for Ksh. 1 Million partnership. Vilcom which will focus on growing connectivity in Huruma slums of Eldoret and Aherinet which will focus in growing connections in remote parts of Kisumu got the 1G and 0.5G capacities respectively for 6 months. These projects were selected as they are expected to have the highest impact in the regions.
