FibreCo Telecommunications is making “excellent” progress with its plans to deploy an open-access, long-haul terrestrial fibre-optic broadband network in SA, it said this afternoon.
The company is a partnership between Cell C, Internet Solutions and Convergence Partners, with an investment of R5 billion. The group was formed in the latter half of last year.
Geotechnical and environmental studies for the first routes have already been completed and the tender process is moving ahead swiftly, FibreCo says in a statement. It adds that a wide range of other essential elements - relating to permitting, engineering, environmental management and development of detailed customer solutions - are also ongoing.
The initial phase of the project focuses on rolling out a 4 500km redundant core ring, linking Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban to international cable landing stations by the end of 2012. However, FibreCo says it expects partial routes, including the Johannesburg-to-Cape Town link, to come on stream earlier to assist with the market requirement for additional capacity between the two regions.
The subsequent two phases will ultimately see a total distance in excess of 12 000km being covered.
“The project is on track, with good progress being made on the key activities supporting the development of FibreCo's network, including negotiations with local and international network implementation partners, governmental authorities and various other market players,” says FibreCo CEO Arif Hussain.
“We have also been engaging actively with various role players within the education and research communities to explore ways of helping them to leverage the strong economic benefits of fibre ownership.”
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