As South African internet service providers (ISPs) rapidly descend on underserviced communities, Cape Town-based TooMuchWifi plans to deploy its network nationally.
This, after the ISP recently announced it now operates in over 70 communities in the Western Cape, serving over a million users with uncapped air fibre.
Starting with its first customers in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, TooMuchWifi says it continues its community-centred approach, offering uncapped fibre internet, while reinvesting in local job creation, education and community development initiatives.
Founded in 2016 by Ian Thomson and Jonathan Endersby, the ISP secured funding from three investors – British International Investment, Infra Impact Investment Managers and IDF Capital – in May.
TooMuchWiFi partners with technology suppliers to obtain hardware and engages with mobile network operators to ensure strategic backhaul capacity and strengthen network resilience.
In an e-mail interview with ITWeb, Tauriq Brown, CEO of TooMuchWifi, says the company’s strategy is centred around the fact that townships have been left behind for too long.
“Major ISPs have historically overlooked these areas despite strong demand for reliable, affordable internet. This lack of access fuels educational and economic inequality. By connecting these communities, we help close that gap and enable genuine social and economic mobility.”
He points out that access to reliable home internet in South Africa is severely limited, with less than 14% of the population having access to uncapped internet.
According to Brown, this lack of connectivity creates significant barriers for people living around the breadline.
“Learners are often forced to download educational materials using costly mobile data, while job seekers can only rely on intermittent, borrowed, low-quality WiFi connectivity. Ultimately, the absence of affordable high-speed internet, coupled with the high cost of mobile data, excludes the majority of South Africans from life-changing opportunities in the digital world.
“Our uncapped fibre packages start from R295 per month, with speeds up to 200Mbps. There are no deposits, contracts, or credit checks. We make high-speed internet accessible for all income levels and businesses.”
He points out that the company’s network is currently concentrated in the Western Cape, but it is expanding rapidly and its national rollout is coming soon.
“We will first expand across South Africa, and then beyond to Sub-Saharan Africa,” Brown adds. “Our biggest challenge is that only 14% of South Africa’s population has access to meaningful connectivity and the biggest challenge is keeping up with demand.”
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