Telkom remains at core of IS network capabilities

The relationship between Internet Solutions (IS) and Telkom was recently bolstered when the service provider substantially increased its capacity on the South Atlantic 3/West African Submarine Cable (SAT-3/WASC) that is operated by Telkom.

According to Prenesh Padayachee, Chief Technology Officer at IS: “The relationship the company has with Telkom has been a longstanding one, as they have been our major infrastructure provider since IS' inception. This has created a deep understanding of each other's businesses that has helped us to cater for the rapidly growing demand for international bandwidth.”

Padayachee explains that Telkom's SAT-3 and SAFE cable systems have also been in the water the longest, which means they do not have the teething issues that many of the newer submarine cable systems that have recently come online have.

“After more than 20 years of operation, Telkom understands this area of the market very well, and has the experience we look for when partnering with an infrastructure provider,” he says. “The SAT-3 cable itself is also very well established and offers a level of reliability that is crucial for running the mission-critical services required by our numerous blue chip corporate clients.

“Telkom also manages the entire cable system for South Africa, which includes their custodian role at the landing stations here and in London,” continues Padayachee.

SAT-3 also went through a significant upgrade ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which means there was a significant increase in available capacity on the cable system. “As international bandwidth capacity becomes more critical for corporate-level connectivity, we need to keep upgrading the capacity offered on the IS network. And with the changing usage paradigm, especially for BPO organisations, this capacity needs to be run over unshaped lines with adequate redundancy to ensure the up-time of business-critical services.”

According to Padayachee, Telkom's SAT-3 cable system also fits well into IS' growing international bandwidth engagement model. “We want to ensure that our international bandwidth services remain as diverse as possible on both sides of the coast, and SAT-3 is an important component of that model on the west coast. It complements the investments we have made in the other cable systems, and the quantum of bandwidth we have purchased on SAT-3 positions us really well to cater to the ever-increasing broadband customer base and their international bandwidth needs.

“However, at the end of the day, the key to the success and continued longevity of our working relationship with Telkom is the fact that we understand the capabilities of the SAT-3 cable and their network, and we know what we can get from it, which is why we have and will continue to partner with them,” he concludes.