The Zambia Electricity Supply Corp. (Zesco) is set to invest US$43 million to start construction on the second phase of Zambia's fiber-optic backbone network, built to provide connections with Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and countries in Europe. The cable system, designed to offer a reliable telecommunications system for mobile, fixed and Internet technology, will cover 4,000 kilometers and will connect to other cables under the Indian Ocean. Zesco's senior marketing and public relations manager, Monica Chisela, said the construction of the second phase of the cable will start in the third quarter. Zesco is a government-run power utility company and is installing the fiber cables on its power lines across the country.