Algeria Telecom stands to benefit from spare fibre optic network infrastructure as a direct result of a 10-year deal penned between telecommunications infrastructure Company Comintal Algeria and Algerian Gas Transmission System Management Company (GRTG).

The deal will enable Comintal Algeria to leverage the gas company's available and underused black fibre optic network and direct this resource through to Algeria Telecom for distribution.

GRTG's black fibre optic network is installed on the gas distribution network and comprises 24 strands (filaments constituting the bundles of the fibre) extending over 4,000km – of which only two strands are used by the gas company to monitor and manage its distribution network.

Comintal Algeria described the unused 22 strands as "a mess of internet capabilities" and it approached GRTG to make the fibre optic accessible to enhance supply to the public, particularly under-served and remote regions.

Kada Kerroum, Comintal Algeria's Managing Director, said, "The agreement will also contribute to the optimisation of the investments made on the state budget."

Cherif Zeghoud, GRTG's CEO, announced that that GRTG's entire gas network is being upgraded to a modern fibre optic network reaching nearly 21,000km.

When completed, the network will avail more fibre optic to the telco.

"It has been commissioned but it has not been completed. This upgrade operation is an investment of about 6 billion dinars," Zeghoud said.