CEC Liquid Telecom has announced its acquisition of Realtime Technology Alliance Africa (Realtime), Zambia's second largest ISP.

A media release from CEC Liquid Telecom says that Realtime will now focus on the retail and business markets in Zambia, which are not regulated by ZICTA (The Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority).

"It will provide communications services to homes and businesses of all sizes across Zambia, using the satellite and fibre networks of CEC Liquid Telecom as well as its existing WiMAX network," according to the statement.

Realtime will also be one of the first resellers for Fibroniks, Liquid Telecom's Fibre To The Home (FTTH) service, over which homes and businesses of all sizes can receive 100Mbps broadband connectivity.

The Fibroniks service, which offers unlimited data packages, is initially available to 15,600 homes and businesses in Lusaka including the areas of Rhodes Park, Northmead, Long Acres, Sunningdale and Kabulonga.

Liquid Telecom says the FTTH build will continue and is expected to reach 20,000 premises in Lusaka by year-end.

"Services will become available as each targeted area is connected, with a likelihood that the build will extend to Copperbelt towns by the end of the year," the company states.

CEC Liquid Telecom will continue to provide wholesale products and services to all licensed operators in Zambia. Realtime will receive network access from CEC Liquid Telecom on the same terms as other providers.

Andrew Kapula, CEC Liquid Telecom Managing Director, said "This is another major milestone for both our company and the Zambian telecoms market. We will continue to invest in Zambia so that we can provide operators, ISPs, homes and businesses of all sizes with the fastest and most reliable broadband available in Zambia. We believe in the power of connectivity to change lives and will continue to build a high-quality network that will enable our people and businesses to prosper."

In January the company announced a $5 million investment in building a fibre link between Lusaka and Victoria Falls in Livingstone to provide both retail and wholesale customers with broadband connectivity in the southern African country.