120 km Rural Fibre Network — Kogi State
Under the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) rural broadband initiative, Jude Elswitch Limited designed and deployed a 120-kilometre buried and aerial fibre-optic backbone network connecting 18 rural communities in Kogi State to the national internet gateway node in Lokoja.
The project spanned challenging terrain including two river crossings (Confluence area), rocky highlands in the Okene axis, and densely forested corridors, all requiring specialised civil works methodologies. Our team carried out route survey and design, environmental impact mitigation, open-trench and micro-trenching cable installation, aerial lashing on existing PHCN poles, OTDR testing and splicing of 144-fibre SM cable, installation of 18 optical distribution cabinets in community junction boxes, and deployment of Huawei SmartAX MA5800 OLT equipment at the hub site.
On completion, the 18 communities — with a combined population exceeding 85,000 — received broadband internet connectivity for the first time, enabling e-learning, telemedicine, digital commerce, and e-government services. A 12-month managed services and NOC monitoring contract was included.