State, Viettel agree on fibre optic deal

DODOMA: THE government, through the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology, has signed an addendum agreement with Viettel Global Investment Joint Stock Company to extend the national fibre optic network to underserved areas.

The agreement marks the conclusion of successful negotiations that resolved a contractual dispute between the two parties.

The Chairperson of the National Negotiation Committee and Permanent Secretary in the President’s Office–Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG), Adolf Ndunguru, said the discussions held in Dodoma recently addressed breaches identified in the initial contract during the implementation of the National Fibre Optic Backbone project.

“We held detailed discussions with Viettel and agreed on how to correct the issues identified. What we signed today is a rectification of those shortcomings to improve the project’s implementation,” he said.

The PS explained that the original contract required Viettel to expand network coverage to areas not yet reached by the government, but the company had instead extended coverage to already connected locations and even across the border.

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“This addendum ensures that misallocated funds are compensated, network extensions beyond the intended scope are corrected, and implementation standards are aligned with the contract,” he added.

On the other hand, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Communication and Information Technology, Mohamed Khamis Abdulla, said the revised agreement opens a new chapter of cooperation aimed at accelerating innovation and expanding communication access to citizens.

Viettel Global CEO, Nguyen Thi Hoa, hailed the agreement as a new beginning for collaboration to ensure reliable communication services reach Tanzanians.