The Nkangala district will benefit from a golden investment of nearly R100 million. Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) will be deploying more than 120km of optic-fibre infrastructure throughout this region. This forms part of a R3.5 billion national fibre network that will increase bandwidth and reduce Internet costs significantly.
DFA will be deploying a 64km optic-fibre infrastructure in eMalahleni (Witbank) to the value of R52 million, and 58.8km infrastructure to the value of R42 million in Middelburg.
The company's CEO, Gustav Smit, says DFA will launch the Nkangala district into the digital age. "The socio-economic benefits of fibre-optic networks are vast; affordable broadband contributes to increased economic activity."
As an open access dark fibre infrastructure provider, DFA provides communities like eMalahleni (Witbank) and Middelburg with open access to its fibre-optic network through licensed operators and Internet service providers (ISPs) on equal terms.
DFA started rolling out its network in metropolitan areas in October 2007 and has already laid in excess of 6 400km of infrastructure. The company assumes the role of physical infrastructure developer, funds the rollout, and provides all operators with a first-class, secure ducting infrastructure on which licensed operators can build their services.
The deployment of metro and long-haul open access ducting, optimised for fibre network deployment, will enable larger users of communications capacity to enjoy logical separation and ownership of communications capacity, while sharing the same physical right of way and access routes with other carriers.
DFA's footprint extends nationally and links with the SEACOM, EASSy, SAFE and SAT3 cables at Mtunzini, in KwaZulu-Natal, and links to the WACS cable at Yzerfontein and the SAT3 cable at Melkbosstrand, in the Western Cape.
"South Africans simply don't know what 20Mbps or 100Mbps to the home means. An opportunity needs to be created for users to test drive serious broadband, and ISPs need to play a leading role in mobilising communities," he concludes.
Share
Dark Fibre Africa (DFA)
Dark Fibre Africa (DFA), a local open access dark fibre infrastructure provider, specialises in the financing, building and installation of carrier-neutral, open access, ducting infrastructure. The company started rolling out its network in metropolitan areas in October 2007 and has already laid in excess of 6 180km of infrastructure that is open to all licensed players, on equal terms.
This infrastructure is commissioned by licensed telecoms and Internet operators, which provide high-speed voice, data and video services to customers. The underlying business principle is that of an independent 'open access' infrastructure. With DFA acting purely as landlord, the infrastructure is entirely operator-neutral and does not differentiate between users.
The basis of the model is that DFA is building and managing a first-class physical infrastructure for any licensed operator to take advantage of. Licensed operators now have a ready-made infrastructure on which to build their differentiating converged services, bringing these services to market quicker, thereby enjoying earlier revenue generation.
There is a state-of-the-art network monitoring centre in Rivonia (Johannesburg) that provides operators with outsourced fibre network management services and offers continuous communication with clients should the unthinkable incident occur. Any service provider, licensed to do so by ICASA, may rent fibres from DFA for their own transmission and backbone infrastructure purposes.
DFA assumes the role of physical infrastructure developer, funds the rollout, and on completion provides all operators with a first-class secure ducting infrastructure on which licensed operators can build their services. The deployment of metro and long-haul open access ducting, optimised for fibre network deployment, will enable larger users of communications capacity to enjoy logical separation and ownership of communications capacity, while sharing the same physical right of way and access routes with other carriers.
DFA is extremely proud of claiming the prestigious 'New Entrant of the Year' award at the annual AfricaCom awards ceremony in 2009. In 2010, DFA was awarded the 'Best Cost Efficiency Solution for Africa' for the 'Fibre to the Tower'. The AfricaCom awards recognise excellence and outstanding performance in the African telecommunications industry over a 12-month period.
Editorial contacts