Open Connect Limited

Open Connect Limited was incorporated on 8th March 2016 following Business unbundling in MTL. The Shareholders of Malawi Telecommunication Limited decided to cut off all fibre Network to form a separate company that will house, maintain and develop the Fiber Network for National interest.

Open Connect Limited therefore is an open access Network that serves as a National Backbone to all players in Malawi with a well-established metro network that feeds into the Backbone and a well layered Access dark fibre Network to reach all end user customers.

OCL is the leading domestic provider of carrier, redundant light and last mile dark fibre services to leading Mobile Operators, ISP’s and Terrestrial TV providers. The core backbone and metro fibre infrastructure have been in operation since 2012 and has a proven track record of delivering carrier of carrier services. As the largest and only redundant fibre network provider in the domestic market, with key international fibre links to Mozambique and Tanzania in addition to a direct connection to SEACOM’s Indian Ocean Submarine Cable and to EASSY via Mozambique de Telecommunication (TDM), the Company commands a leading position in the domestic market.

Open Connect Limited was established to offer wholesale capacity services to all Telecommunications providers, ISPs, Broadcasters and corporate customers and hence it is established to work as a National backbone to all players. And thus, providing the much required wholesale broadband services to all players and hence offering flexibility to the dynamic Telecommunication industry. On top of that it gives Malawi Telecommunications Limited, the mother company an opportunity to concentrate and compete effectively with other service providers on end user service provisioning on the market.

Open Connect Limited (OCL) has its own board of Directors and is running as a separate entity. OCL has been established as a commercial and self-sustainable business for the development of fiber network in Malawi.

As a wholesale provider of Telecommunications carrier services, OCL provides services to all retail Telecommunication companies, ISPs and Broadcasters already in existence in Malawi. OCL does not sell directly to end users.

For companies with Offices around the Globe, OCL promises very good, high availability WAN connection to their other offices around the globe. This offers better option to the customer as they only have one point of contact. It is easier for OCL to provide International WAN connectivity because of the relations the company has with neighbouring countries and beyond. Currently OCL is offering such services to other customers with satisfaction. This is true with IPLC services as well.

In 2016, the Founding Shareholders of OCL decided to re-issue 60% of the Shareholding in OCL to a private Investor and the sale transaction was finalized end of June 2018. OCL is therefore privately owned by Harith General Partners.