Work on laying a 261 kilometre fibre optic cable between Zimbabwe’s capital Harare and the eastern border city of Mutare is set to start in a few weeks.

This is according to the country’s information and communications technology (ICT) minister Nelson Chamisa who has said the cable link is to form part of a $23 million nerve centre, connecting the country to undersea broadband networks on Mozambique’s coast.

Once the ‘last mile’ cable is completed, the Southern African country’s broadband network will extend 1340 kilometres, Chamisa said.

"Once this project if fully running it will see the country regain the missed opportunities and neglected advantages of the past decade by ensuring Zimbabwe's ICT networks are available and affordable anywhere and anytime," he said.

Growth in the ICT sector almost doubled to 15.2% in 2010, from 8% in 2000, according to the country’s finance minister Tendai Biti.