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Mavoni boosts universal access

Farzana Rasool
By Farzana Rasool, ITWeb IT in Government Editor.
Johannesburg, 31 May 2011

Local IT company Mavoni Technologies (MT) has signed a multi-year, multimillion-dollar deal with satellite operator O3b Networks.

The deal has a backing of $1.2 billion from local and international sponsors.

“SA has the most developed telecommunications infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa, with multiple submarine cable networks and an extensive national fibre network. However, while users in cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town can enjoy high-speed broadband, users in the more remote areas are still largely disconnected from the global Internet backbone,” says O3b.

Chief commercial officer John Finney says the deal will better allow MT to bring end-to-end, cost-effective IP broadband connectivity services to government municipalities and schools located in poorly served areas of SA.

MT intends to cooperate with various government agencies to help them achieve universal service objectives.

“Through this partnership, we are going to deliver high-speed connectivity at fibre-like speeds to places like Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape,” says MT CEO Tinyiko Valoyi.

These are traditionally areas that fibre networks are unable to reach. “In partnership with the provincial government of Limpopo, we intend to connect more than 500 schools in rural areas,” adds Valoyi.

MT is also working with the Department of Education, in the Northern Cape, to provide connectivity to over 1 500 schools.

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