Liquid Telecom Zambia is building a new US$5 million fibre link between the country's capital Lusaka and Victoria Falls in Livingstone, as the company further accelerates its growth across Africa.

The new link is being built by CEC Liquid Telecom Zambia, a joint venture between Liquid Telecom and Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC), a Zambian power transmission, distribution and generation company.

Liquid Telecom said the fibre network built through the joint venture - which spans more than 5,000km – is the first fully-redundant network in Zambia, while the new link will provide retail and wholesale customers with the most reliable, high-speed broadband connectivity in Southern Zambia.

"The southern part of Zambia, along the economic zone from Lusaka via transit towns to Livingstone, has lagged behind in terms of access to quality ICT services," said Andrew Kapula, CEC Liquid Telecom Zambia managing director.

"Our new fibre link will provide much needed capacity in the area. We are investing heavily in Zambia as part of our goal to build Africa's digital future. We believe in the power of connectivity to transform lives and our goal is to connect as many people in Africa as possible."

Liquid Telecom has been investing heavily in expansion both in Zambia and elsewherev in Africa, saying at the end of last year it would spend US$34 million in the next two years laying fibre across Rwanda and to the borders of neighbouring countries.

The company has also constructed East Africa's first internet fibre network ring, which connects Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania with the rest of the world, while in Zambia specifically the company plans to connect 7,000 Zambian households to fibre networks by June this year. It is also building a satellite hub in South Africa.

Its link between Lusaka and Victoria Falls, CEC Liquid Telecom said, will provide additional capacity, increased redundancy and route diversity, cementing the joint venture's position as Zambia's "most reliable and consistent broadband provider". The link is expected to be completed by June.