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FibreCo completes 2 000km network

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 15 Nov 2013
FibreCo has completed its fibre-optic network connecting Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, East London and Cape Town.
FibreCo has completed its fibre-optic network connecting Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, East London and Cape Town.

FibreCo Telecommunications' 2 000km fibre-optic network - interconnecting Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, East London and Cape Town - has gone live.

The company claims the network provides the shortest and fastest optical fibre connectivity between these cities. "FibreCo's network will provide broadband capacity between inland cities and the submarine cable landing stations on the country's west coast."

The completion of the network comes about two years after the company announced in 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 three key anchor tenants on the open-access network.

During this time, FibreCo completed the physical installation of around 1 000km of linear fibre-optic cable, and says it has also collaborated with other fibre infrastructure operators and broadband networks in order to avoid duplication of fibre routes.

"FibreCo believes 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 SA, but more specifically into and close to several poorly connected areas along the route."

The company has also entered into a strategic partnership with MTN, which will see the mobile operator having access to the FibreCo route between Johannesburg and East London.

According to FibreCo, MTN is the first operator to light up new capacity on its 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".

FibreCo chairman Andile Ngcaba says the 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.

FibreCo CEO Arif Hussain says it is important that private infrastructure investors and competitive operators work together to deploy critical infrastructure while remaining truly open-access.

The company will now turn its attention to its next planned link between Cape Town and Durban.

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