ZTE suggests Libya will boast nationwide WiMAX network by Aug-13

Malik Shaban, the deputy CEO of ZTE in Libya, has revealed to the Libya Herald that a nationwide WiMAX network could be in place as early as August this year, confirming that work has now commenced on the second phase of deployment. The rollout, which is being carried out on behalf of the country’s dominant internet service provider (ISP), state-owned Libya Telecom & Technology (LTT), will see around 300 WiMAX base stations deployed across the country, with a particular focus on rural areas in the south. The rollout will supplement LTT’s current footprint of 346 towers, which cover 18 locations. However, the undertaking may not end there; LTT’s managing director, Saad Ksheer, told the paper that the company is planning a total of 588 new WiMAX towers to ease network congestion. ZTE has been active within Libya since September when it was drafted in to repair infrastructure damaged during the revolution. However, it is thought that ‘phase two’ of the rollout dates back to the period prior to the fall of the Gaddafi regime.