COMMISSIONING OF THE CROSS GAMBIA PROJECT

NEWS BANJUL THE GAMBIA(MB)-In an effort to improve and extend the country’s telecommunications system to the sub-region and beyond, the Gambia Telecommunications Company Limited (GAMTEL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications, Information and Information Technology, will in mid February 2010 commission its latest project called “Cross Gambia Project”. This project, being one of GAMTEl’s major accomplishments in the year 2009, will cost GAMTEL around Euro 1.2 million when completed.
It is a joint venture between GAMTEL and SONATEL in Senegal conceived in April 2008 and the contract was signed on 20th May 2009.

The Cross Gambia Project upon completion will extend the fibre from Dakar through Kaolack, Karang, Barra, Banjul, Serrekunda, Yundum, Brikama to Seleti in Casamance where it terminates on the SONATEL fibre network.
The project will provide an alternative link using fibre to the existing Basse-Welingara fibre link, which was implemented in 1996. This essential project was awarded to Alcatel Lucent a French contractor based in France on a contract signed on the 25th June 2009 and makes a provision of 24 pairs of fibre in Barra to enable Gamtel to run a new fibre Network throughout the length of the North Bank.

With the implementation of this project, GAMTEL will be able to conveniently implement the proposed North Bank fibre from Banjul across the river to Barra and all the way to Basse. Also, this project, when completed, will allow Gamtel to be provided with STM 4 capacity to secure the South Bank traffic whilst we upgrade, replace and migrate to a Next Generation Network (NGN), which was planned to be implemented in 2010

The project objectives, among others, will consolidate GAMTEL/SONATEL bilateral traffic; provide GAMTEL with redundancy, thereby eliminating the serious traffic disruption experienced whenever the fibre is cut. It would also enable GAMTEL to increase Internet capacity to meet national internet bandwidth requirements as and when required.

Finally, GAMTEL and the Ministry of Communications, Information and Information Technology wish to extend gratitude and appreciation to the President, His Excellency, Sheikh Professor Alh. Dr, Yahya A J J Jammeh for the continued support of The Government of the Gambia. We also wish to extend gratitude and appreciation to the Gambia Ports Authority, the National Roads Authority, the Gambia Navy, NAWEC and other stakeholders for their support and cooperation in the implementation of this project.