TTCL and Burundi BBS Sign Deal to Boost Capacity to 10Gbps

In Short

• TTCL and Burundi Backbone System (BBS) signed an agreement to increase Burundi’s telecom capacity from 4Gbps to 10Gbps.
• The deal was signed on September 8, 2026, at TTCL headquarters in Dar es Salaam.
• The partners say demand for digital services in Burundi is driving the upgrade.

What Happened

TTCL has signed a new cross-border connectivity agreement with Burundi’s Burundi Backbone System (BBS). The deal raises communications capacity for Burundi from 4Gbps to 10Gbps.

Gbps means gigabits per second, which is a measure of how much data can move through a network in one second. More capacity usually helps reduce congestion, improves reliability, and supports heavier internet use.

TTCL said the agreement was executed through Tanzania’s National ICT Broadband Backbone (NICTBB), which is the country’s national fibre backbone used for wholesale connectivity. According to TTCL acting director general Alex Biziriko, the upgrade is meant to support “high-capacity, secure, and reliable” communications services for both countries.

BBS director general Diegue Nifasha said Burundi’s demand for digital services is rising quickly. He added that usage growth could require another capacity increase even before the two-year contract period ends.

Why It Matters

Cross-border fibre and wholesale bandwidth deals are the plumbing behind most digital products. When international capacity rises, local ISPs, mobile operators, and enterprise networks can buy more bandwidth upstream and improve service quality.

For Burundi, moving from 4Gbps to 10Gbps supports data-heavy use cases such as cloud services, video meetings, online learning, and digital government systems. It can also improve resilience if paired with redundancy, meaning backup routes if one link fails.

TTCL and BBS also said the partnership may expand beyond bandwidth into operational cooperation, including skills transfer and joint training for technical teams. That could strengthen how both sides plan, operate, and secure regional connectivity over time.