South Africa’s fibre rollout has transformed from a slow burn to a fast-moving trend. With thousands of new homes and businesses connected each month, fibre is no longer just about faster browsing. It is reshaping how companies think about communications and collaboration, and it is driving the adoption of next-generation voice services.
Recent ICT sector reports show a steady increase in fibre-to-the-home and fibre-to-the-business subscriptions. As connections become more affordable and more widely available, companies of all sizes are moving their core communications into the cloud. High-quality SIP trunks, cloud-based PBX systems and unified communications platforms are now within reach for far more businesses than ever before.
“Fibre has been the missing link for many organisations,” says Evan Damon, Wholesale Channel Manager at Wanatel. “With greater bandwidth and lower latency, it becomes possible to run voice, video and collaboration platforms on a single, reliable connection. This is why we’re seeing cloud voice adoption accelerate alongside fibre rollouts.”
Fibre and the business advantage
The value of fibre-enabled voice goes well beyond cheaper call rates. Companies gain access to scalability, flexible work models, and the ability to integrate communications with business applications. A growing number of SMEs are moving away from on-site PBX hardware in favour of hosted solutions that can expand with the business and support remote or hybrid teams.
For larger enterprises, fibre enables high-capacity SIP trunks that support call centres, customer experience platforms, and video collaboration tools, all with better resilience. The result is a stronger alignment between communications and business strategy.
The reseller opportunity
For ISPs and resellers, fibre penetration opens doors. It creates a ready market for value-added voice and collaboration services that sit on top of reliable connectivity. Those who can package voice with data, support and security are well positioned to capture new business.
“The conversation is shifting from connectivity alone to what customers can do with it,” Damon explains. “Fibre is the foundation, but it is the applications, the quality of service, and the support that make the difference.”
Looking ahead
As fibre coverage continues to expand across South Africa, businesses will increasingly expect voice and collaboration tools that match the quality of their connectivity. Providers who can link fibre access to cloud-based voice solutions will be the ones to benefit. The next wave of competition will not be about who provides the line, but who helps businesses unlock the most value from it.
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