Subscribe
About

Neotel partners with WAPA

In order to improve telecommunications access across the towns and under-serviced areas in South Africa, Neotel has partnered with the Wireless Access Providers' Association (WAPA) as a full member.

The partnership gives Neotel access to WAPA resources and members that rely on telecommunications services to do business. Neotel and WAPA will work together to foster strategic partnerships between larger and smaller companies, in order to extend the reach of quality products and services to communities in under-serviced areas, and to explore the development of new products and services that address the opportunities and challenges specific to those areas.

Angus Hay, GM at Neotel says: "We are excited to have partnered with WAPA to address some of South Africa's telecommunications challenges, particularly outside of the major metros, in smaller cities, towns and rural areas. Neotel has enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship with WAPA for a number of years. This continued partnership will enable us to further broaden our scope and become the preferred communications partner to WAPA members by providing them with a wide range of services such as high speed voice and Internet, as well as backhaul and hosted solutions. In addition, we will jointly be able to deliver our leading broadband products over WAPA wireless infrastructure to places previously starved of proper broadband."

He says that many Internet service providers (ISPs), businesses, and end users in these areas still rely on ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line), or cellular services, which are not suitable for larger bandwidth requirements, such as video conferencing or streaming media. Neotel's capacity and fibre together with the wireless infrastructure and local reach of WAPA members can change this.

"Both WAPA and Neotel aim to improve telecommunications access in South Africa and believe in collaboration and partnerships as a way to innovate, grow and drive competition. As a non-profit organisation, our main goal is to provide value to our members. Having Neotel on board complements our efforts," says WAPA Chairperson Mohammad Patel.

Share

Neotel

Neotel is South Africa's first converged communications network operator. It provides a range of value-added voice, Internet and data services for businesses, wholesale network operators and providers and retail customers using its IP Next Generation Network, powered by Neotel's high-performance fibre optic backbone. Neotel connects the major centres in South Africa to each other and to the world, directly linking its infrastructure into Tata Communications' global Tier 1 network. Neotel offers fresh thinking, a creative approach, and flexible solutions for communications in South Africa. Neotel continues to invest in developing a world-class fibre network infrastructure which now spans Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Port Elizabeth and traverses approximately 30 other cities, towns and villages in South Africa.

WAPA

The Wireless Access Providers' Association (WAPA), established in 2006, is a non-profit industry representative body acting as a collective voice for over 180 independent wireless operators in South Africa. WAPA's primary objective is to ensure the sustainability of the wireless access services market by facilitating self-regulation.

WAPA is positioned to be an interface between the government regulator (ICASA), network operators, service providers and consumers.

WAPA's membership is differentiated from other wireless providers by their focus on using open standard wireless technologies (Wi-Fi). WAPA offers its members regulatory advice, a code of conduct, an enforcement process and a forum for knowledge-sharing.

Editorial contacts

Fiona Mbalula
Epic Communications
(+27) 11 784 4790