Why network operators choose wireless over fibre

Gail Holt, Managing Director.

---

“Most network operators use wireless technologies in ekasi/township communities due to the deployment costs of fibre and the model that they are selling in those areas, which is typically prepaid, entry-level connectivity to the internet,” says Gail Holt, Managing Director of Hardware Distribution.

There are several structural, economic and practical reasons why many network operators (especially smaller ISPs or WISPs) tend to choose wireless rather than fibre when trying to connect “ekasi” and low-income urban communities in South Africa. Cost-effective wireless hardware such as the H3C 6120X Outdoor Access Point together with their home NX series routers play a crucial role in making that connection viable.

“Having spoken to many of our FNO customers, I summarise their logic below, and how H3C WiFi devices can help,” Holt continues.

• Deploying fibre requires trenching, cables and permission from municipalities, which adds both high upfront costs and long delays. In many low-income or ekasi communities, the return on investment, given limited subscription revenue, is uncertain or too low.
• Wireless, instead often requires only towers or rooftop outdoor radios — skipping the costly civil works. That makes it much cheaper and faster to install.
• For FNOs, smaller ISPs or government-backed providers, this minimises risk and capital costs.

Dakalo Ndangani, Hardware’s H3C product manager.

---

• As mentioned by the FNOs, wayleave acquisition (permission to dig or install cables) is often expensive and inconsistent between municipalities, sometimes effectively blocking fibre deployment.
• In ekasi settlements layout is often dense, irregular and changes often, making physical fibre rollout more difficult than in planned suburbs. That complexity discourages providers from investing there. 

• Fibre cables are susceptible to theft and vandalism but mostly accidental cable cuts which can lead to extended outages and costly repairs.
• Getting access back into these communities can sometimes be impossible if kickbacks are not paid.
• Wireless infrastructure avoids those risks, because there is no passive cable that can be stolen or accidentally cut.

• Many households in lower income communities cannot commit to fixed long-term fibre subscriptions, so for network operators the average revenue per user is too low to justify fibre investments.
• Fixed wireless and community WiFi enables more flexible billing models; for example, prepaid, pay-as-you-go, or shared-hotspot models, which better match township affordability and usage patterns.

“A good example is that some operators set up community-level WiFi hotspots at taxi ranks, spaza shops or kiosks, rather than expecting every household to take a dedicated fibre line,” Holt explains.

Dakalo Ndangani with the first outdoor AP consignment, ensuring ex-stock availability for community roll-outs.

---

• Wireless connections are easier to reconfigure or relocate and therefore make sense in informal areas where households might move or building structures may change over time.

“Given South Africa’s load-shedding and unreliable power in many areas, wireless providers install solar or batteries, making the network more resilient and cheaper to run compared to fibre networks that are reliant on continuous power.”

Using cost-effective wireless equipment — like the H3C 6120X outdoor access point and the home WiFi routers — can make the wireless-based broadband rollout both feasible and sustainable.

• Outdoor access point for “last-mile” or community distribution: The H3C 6120X can serve as a base station or “distribution hub” mounted on a rooftop or tower in or near the community. From there, it can broadcast WiFi that reaches many homes or households in a 120m radius. This reduces per-household infrastructure cost dramatically compared to individually trenching fibre to every house.
• Plug-and-play CPE: On the user side, a home WiFi router such as the H3C Magic NX15 can be delivered to households. Families plug it in and they get local WiFi coverage in their household. This avoids complicated fibre-installation processes and is more like traditional “router + wireless” setup.
• Scalable and flexible: Because wireless distribution doesn’t require cables, operators can scale up as demand grows, just by installing more access points without redoing infrastructure. If and when neighbourhoods increase in size, the network can adapt more easily.
• Economics matches community affordability: Given lower deployment and maintenance costs, operators can offer more affordable packages that reflect township residents’ income, something less viable with fibre’s high fixed costs.
• Resilience and maintenance benefits: Outdoor wireless equipment often requires less invasive maintenance than fibre cables which might get cut or need schedule-sensitive repairs. In environments where civil works are difficult, that’s a major advantage.

“For most township/ekasi communities, the economics and practicality simply don’t support big fibre rollouts. Wireless, deployed via cost-efficient hardware, gives a realistically “cheap access” to the internet that matches the constraints and needs of those communities. Using devices like H3C 6120X outdoor access point, with a range of 120-150m and H3C Magic NX home WiFi routers make this connectivity model workable at affordable cost.” concludes Holt.