FibreCo’s 2,000 km Broadband Network goes live
FibreCo’s 2,000 km Broadband Network goes live
Convergence Partners investee, FibreCo Telecommunications, has announced the completion of its state-of-the art, fibre-optic networks connecting Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, East London and Cape Town, providing the shortest and fastest optical fibre connectivity between these cities today.
Long haul fibre routes are the foundation of the Internet and FibreCo’s network will provide unprecedented broadband capacity between inland cities and the submarine cable landing stations on the country’s West Coast.
This landmark achievement comes roughly 2 years after the company announced in September 2011 that it had signed an agreement with ZTE Corporation of China for the construction of its long distance fibre-optic cable system, as well as having secured BT, Cell C and Internet Solutions as the first 3 Key Anchor Tenants on its open-access network.
Over this time FibreCo has completed the physical installation of around 1,000 km of linear fibre-optic cable in just 14 months, a record-breaking achievement, for which it was recognized by the South African Institution of Civil Engineers as the 2013 Project Management and Construction Project of the Year. However, FibreCo has also collaborated extensively with other fibre infrastructure operators and broadband networks in order to avoid duplication of fibre routes, providing both environmental benefits as well as economic efficiencies which will ultimately benefit internet users.
FibreCo believes that open access fibre backbone infrastructure is key to facilitating the kind of services based competition that will ensure delivery of a more affordable and innovative broadband experience across the entire country, but more specifically into and close to several poorly connected areas along the route.
FibreCo have entered into a strategic partnership with MTN. MTN will also have access to the FibreCo route between Johannesburg and East London, which complements MTN’s own extensive national and access fibre optic network footprint. MTN is the first operator to light up new capacity on FibreCo’s network into East London, a key landing point in a Province with one the highest levels of “Broadband Deprivation” nationally, according to research by the Department of Communications.
“This new fibre-optic link will provide broadband users in the Eastern Cape and Free State Provinces with faster and more affordable connectivity back into the national fibre grid,” says Andile Ngcaba, Chairman of FibreCo Telecommunications.
“We are delighted with the progress we have made to-date. FibreCo is a clear demonstration of how private infrastructure investors and competitive operators can work together to deploy critical infrastructure quickly and cost effectively, whilst remaining truly open-access”, says Arif Hussain, CEO of FibreCo Telecommunications.
FibreCo aims to enable more affordable and wider access to broadband service as it continues to build its network across the country, now turning its attention to its next planned link between Cape Town and Durban. The FibreCo network ensures secure high speed, high capacity and low latency data transmission and is now accepting customer agreements for fibre and co-location facilities on its current and future network.