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By Sami Zaptia.
London, 28 July 2021:
The signing on Tuesday of an agreement by the state Hatif Libya (the Libya Phone Company) and America’s Infinera is a ground-breaking agreement that will boost Libya’s expanding telecommunications sector, Hatif Libya’s holding company, the Libyan Post Telecommunications, and Information Company (LPTIC) said Tuesday.
It said the California-based firm’s entrance marks a milestone in US investment in the Libyan market.
The project will expand and develop Libya’s optical transport network and will provide access to internet and mobile services in areas not reached previously by the network and improve the quality and reliability of services for all customers.
Increased security and dynamics of network
Revealing more technical details, the LPTIC said the need for secure digital transport capacities has increased with the rapid development of the telecommunications sector in Libya and the growing demand for mobile phone services, internet, and digital transformation.
It explained that the project leverages universal switching and transport capabilities, enabling the national network to dynamically switch traffic over diverse paths to ensure the continuation of services in the case of interruptions caused by physical damage to cables or power outages. To do this, it explained, Infinera will deploy Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON) technology.
The LPTIC said this partnership accelerates opportunities for joint economic cooperation between Libya and the U.S. in the field of communications and information technology. This first step presents a new frontier for investment and collaboration, expanding beyond the traditional energy and security sectors.
Linkage between Africa and Europe
The project also provides Libya the ability to benefit from its strategic location in linking Europe and Africa
Increased and expandable capacities
Once completed, the LPTIC said the network will deliver capacities and cyber protection for 60 sites throughout the Libyan territory using advanced optical equipment and technologies to reach operational capacity of 600 GB on the coastal strip and 200 GB in the southern region, which can be expanded and developed to reach 9 terabytes.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Abd Alhamid Aldabaiba said “We express our happiness at the signing of the agreement between Hatif Libya and the U.S.-based Infinera. We consider this an important step in strengthening Libyan-American economic relations that will encourage the return of American companies to complete stalled projects.
Furthermore, such agreements increase our confidence that we are on the right path towards integrating state institutions through digital transformation to provide digital services for all Libyans. Digital transformation will create equal opportunities for all Libyan citizens so that they can participate in the development process and improve their standard of living.”
LPTIC chairman Faisel Gergab said: “The partnership with Infinera boosts LPTIC’s commitment to providing improved connectivity services and is an important milestone in our strategic goal of digital transformation. This contract will strengthen the telecommunications sector in all regions of the country and will help revive our economy. We see this early cooperation as a signal of what’s ahead for the telecommunications sector, and we fully intend to pursue more partnerships with the U.S.”
Hatif Libya chairman Mohamed Belras said: “My colleagues and I at Hatif Libya, which is the backbone of the telecommunications sector, are pleased that our national network is equipped with the latest technologies and provides alternative paths for traffic. The network is secured from external intrusions and with capacities that will meet the increasing demand for services. We are pleased with our partnership with Infinera and aspire to provide best services to all our valued customers.”
David Heard, CEO of Infinera, said: “We are pleased to announce this strategic partnership with Hatif Libya, which represents a key foundation of the Libyan telecom sector. Working together, we can build a telecommunications infrastructure that will meet current and future needs. We are looking forward to establishing a successful long-term relationship based on our technology innovations, industry expertise, and committed partnership. We are thrilled to be entering Libya and to be working closely with our Libyan partners to deliver a best-in-class solution.”
No value, starting or completion date of the contract was mentioned by any of the stakeholders.
