Neotel puts South Africa on global map and leads in Ethernet with MEF CE 2.0 Certification - a first in Africa

Issued by Epic Communications for Neotel
Johannesburg, 30 Jan 2015

Neotel, South Africa's first converged communications network operator, has announced it is the first service provider in Africa to receive Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) Carrier Ethernet 2.0 Certification.

MEF is an international standardisation body that aims to accelerate the worldwide adoption of carrier-class Ethernet networks and services. The MEF Certification Program enables service providers to certify that their Ethernet services comply with the relevant MEF specifications. The programme helps end customers with rapid deployment and integration of Ethernet services and the benefits of reliable and deterministic service performance.

The programme has made a significant contribution to the successful deployment of carrier Ethernet worldwide, with more than 200 certified service products deployed by more than 70 service providers worldwide.

Sunil Joshi, CEO and MD of Neotel, says: "By ensuring that the key stakeholders who use these standards are part of the forum who discuss and finalise them, MEF has managed to ensure that certified members achieve a quicker time to market services from equipment procurement through to adoption by customers."

Joshi notes that the MEF certification will have a number of benefits for Neotel's customers. "First, our customers will have increased confidence in the quality of the Ethernet service being provided, certified skills to implement the latest Ethernet technologies and industry leading best practices in deployment.

"The MEF certification is an endorsement of Neotel's comprehensive Ethernet capability and services including innovative offerings like NeoCarrier, NeoLink Ethernet and NeoOne Layer 2 services among others," elaborates Joshi.

"Neotel is delighted to be the first communications service provider in Africa to receive this certification. The certification is a validation of the maturity of our Ethernet capability and services for our customers and of compliance with best in class standards, quality, features and performance. As Neotel continues to lead with innovation, certification will have a significant, positive impact on the confidence of our customers in these game-changing technologies and therefore a positive impact on our business." concludes Joshi.

For further reference, please find below link to MEF: https://metroethernetforum.org/

Neotel

Neotel is South Africa's first converged communications network operator. It provides a range of value-added voice, Internet and data services for businesses, wholesale network operators and providers and retail customers using its IP Next Generation Network, powered by Neotel's high-performance fibre optic backbone. Neotel connects the major centres in South Africa to each other and to the world, directly linking its infrastructure into Tata Communications' global network. Neotel offers fresh thinking, a creative approach and flexible solutions for communications in South Africa. The company continues to invest in developing a world-class fibre network infrastructure which now spans Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth and traverses approximately 30 other cities, towns and villages in South Africa.

Visit www.neotel.co.za

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