Fibre internet business Fibertime will deploy a combination of Nokia’s IP and fibre access technologies to build semi-mobile networks in underserved communities in SA and connect an additional 400 000 homes as it chases its target of connecting 2 million homes by 2028.
Founded in 2022 by Alan Knott-Craig Jr and starting in Kayamandi, Western Cape, Fibertime now offers uncapped 100Mbps internet for R5 per day in 25 townships across six cities.
Fibertime will deploy Nokia’s Lightspan access nodes and Wi-Fi 6-enabled fibre access points, using Nokia’s ONT Easy Start to automate the fibre modem activation process. It will also use Nokia’s 7750 Wireless Access Gateway to create a single SSID (service set identifier) that allows customers mobile access to the internet..
In addition, it will deploy Nokia’s Altiplano and Network Services Platform solutions along with its Altiplano Fiber Health Analyser, which can detect network anomalies and identify potential issues before they escalate.
Sandy Motley, president of Fixed Networks at Nokia, says the company’s fibre and IP solutions are enabling broadband access in areas that were previously difficult to serve, supporting connectivity for education, healthcare and local economies.
Danvig de Bruyn, CEO of Fibertime, says that Nokia’s technology will help Fibertime accelerate the expansion of its low-cost fibre service to township communities. “We’re now connecting 1 200 households a day to flexible, high-speed access – up to 950Mbps in some cases – without the need for contracts or debit orders.”
Once a township is connected, customers can buy vouchers at local shops or via their banking app, enter the code in the Fibertime app, and get immediate access to unlimited fibre for R5 a day, he explains.
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