">
TechMoran
  • About Us
  • Deals
  • Jobs
  • Motoring
    • Money
  • Pitch Your Startup
  • Submit Your Post
  • Freelance Gigs
  • Travel
  • Men’s Corner
  • Dating
Sunday, January 24, 2021
  • Startups
  • Reviews
  • Insider
    • Obituaries
  • Business
  • Women
  • Blockchain
  • Columnists
  • Hacks & Facts
    • How To
  • Editions
    • US Edition
    • India Edition
    • MENA Edition
    • Asia Edition
    • Europe Edition
    • International Edition
No Result
View All Result
TechMoran
">
Home Tech

Liquid Telecom Kenya combats vandalism of fibre optic cables with new awareness campaign

Milcah Lukhanyu by Milcah Lukhanyu
4 years ago
in Tech
7 min read
0

 

Liquid Telecom Kenya has launched a series of countrywide awareness campaigns to protect rural fibre optic cable networks from vandalism that is costing the country hundreds of millions of shillings a year.

Fibre optic cables support most of the world’s Internet, cable television and telephone systems. However, they are delicate and any damage can affect thousands of end users, including mobile operators, banks, government offices, businesses and individuals. The resulting Internet disruption generally lasts for hours, with fibre repairs requiring the mobilisation of specialists and equipment to sometimes remote or difficult-to-access areas.

Most Internet Service Providers reroute customers to satellite or other types of connectivity while the repairs are underway, but the connections are often slower, leading to lost productivity and sales for businesses, and delays and holdups for consumers.  The rerouting can also add significant costs forISPs.

In a move to end this, Liquid Telecom Kenya has launched countrywide barazas,

For these reasons, Liquid Telecom Kenya is now conducting the rural community awareness programme in areas prone to vandalism to stop the lifting of cables by organizing barazas with the local chiefs and village elders, and engaging local youth as site monitors.

The community engagements through its contractors and regional staff are sensitising villagers on the absence of any resale value in fibre optic cables and to the importance of the infrastructure within their neighborhood.

Related posts

Toshiba

Chrome Now Helps You Change Weak Passwords

January 23, 2021
0

Top 5 Skills That Modern Software Developers Need to Have

January 22, 2021
0

What Software Developers Need to Know About Burnout

January 22, 2021
0

Three Kenyan teams excel at the Huawei ICT Competition Global Finals

January 22, 2021
0

The most recent engagement was in DC-Emali segment in Malili, on one of Kenya’s Internet backbone paths.

READ  Liquid Telecom recognized for outstanding customer support to regional & international carriers

“The need to protect fibre cables is among the things discussed during barazas. I invite individuals from Liquid Telecom Kenya and give them the platform to address members of the community present on the reasons why they should not damage the cables. We have so far received positive response from youths and residents,” said Emali township Chief Michael Kivondo.

“We also target contractors and rally them not to destroy the cables, but instead alert the administration in advance. We have had instances where people call me to come and confirm whether what they have found underground are the cables and we figure out what we can do to make sure they are not damaged,” said Chief Kivondo.

This is a continuous process conducted once a month in different places along Liquid Telecom Kenya’s 5,000km Kenyan fibre network and is supported by weekly route patrols to detect any activity exposing the cables.

People around Nyanchwa Hill were targeting fibre cables for copper, while in Kajiado, villagers were targeting the cables to make enclosures for milk and water storage and as pipes for fire blowing. In Kamakaa area in Kericho, villagers were using the cables for herding the animals, while in Muranga and Kirimi, people dug up the cables in search of copper and water pipes. In Meru, the ducts were being harvested for water pipes.

According to Wilfred Waithaka, Liquid Telecom Kenya’s Chief Technology Officer, “We also ensure that whenever there is a Liquid Telecom Kenya cable laying project, the contractors engage the locals for the manual work, to earn a living, and leave portions of the off-cut fibre optic cables exposed for them to easily detect the real content of the cables underground.”

READ  Solarcentury nears completion of Kenya’s largest roof solar system

The firm has also engaged local youth as site monitors to help spread awareness on the importance of the cable networks.

The Internet Service Provider then receives reports from route patrols and from the site monitors that drive the agenda for further awareness raising, as a proactive mitigation of vandalism.

In Kenya, tampering with, vandalising, damaging or removing any telecommunications infrastructure is considered an offence and attracts a penalty of a fine not less than Sh5m, or imprisonment of not less than 10 years, or both.

Kenya’s proposed Critical Infrastructure Bill is expected to elevate the status of telco infrastructure recognising fibre optic cables as critical infrastructure and giving them the same security as electricity and water infrastructure.

 

Readers 2,909

Share

  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Tags: fibreTechTelcos
Milcah Lukhanyu

Milcah Lukhanyu

Milcah Lukhanyu covers daily news briefs at TechMoran. She is the person who will probably read your press release and get the story out of it or totally trash it. Send tips to [email protected]

Related Posts

Toshiba
Tech

Chrome Now Helps You Change Weak Passwords

January 23, 2021
0
Tech

Top 5 Skills That Modern Software Developers Need to Have

January 22, 2021
0
Tech

What Software Developers Need to Know About Burnout

January 22, 2021
0
Tech

Three Kenyan teams excel at the Huawei ICT Competition Global Finals

January 22, 2021
0
Health

54gene launches a genome sequencing lab to track infectious and non-communicable diseases prevalent in Nigeria

January 22, 2021
0
Tech

Google’s Project Loon, solar-powered internet balloons discontinued

January 22, 2021
0
kplc
Tech

Kenya Power Rolls Out A Smart Metering Project Across The Country

January 21, 2021
0
123movies
Tech

4 Best Free Movie Streaming Sites In Kenya

January 21, 2021
0

https://bit.ly/2VOxuoBhttps://bit.ly/2VOxuoBhttps://bit.ly/2VOxuoB
ADVERTISEMENT

Join our Mailing List

Loading

Recent Posts

Finnfund & Norfund double Starsight’s funding to $20 million for Ghana expansion

January 23, 2021

African tech startup funding passes $700m in 2020 despite COVID-19

January 23, 2021
Toshiba

Chrome Now Helps You Change Weak Passwords

January 23, 2021
Toshiba

Shoppable Ad Formats Are Coming Soon To Youtube

January 23, 2021

Hero MotoCorp Surpasses the Monumental 100M Cumulative Production Milestone

January 23, 2021
">
">

Follow Us

">

There are many sites out there focused on blowing off some steam, from funny entertainment to thrilling experiences like playing online, in some cases online gaming could grant you the chance to win extra money. We came across rocketpot.io while browsing for a good btc casino online and it left us a very good impression with their wide variety of games and crypto offering.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

© 2019 Moran Media Group - All rights reserved TechMoran.

No Result
View All Result
  • Startups
  • Reviews
  • Insider
    • Obituaries
  • Business
  • Women
  • Blockchain
  • Columnists
  • Hacks & Facts
    • How To
  • Editions
    • US Edition
    • India Edition
    • MENA Edition
    • Asia Edition
    • Europe Edition
    • International Edition

© 2019 Moran Media Group - All rights reserved TechMoran.

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
%d bloggers like this: