As it positions to become a national fibre player, Herotel's fibre network has passed 100 000 homes and businesses across SA.
Herotel began its journey in 2014 by consolidating 33 independent internet companies that covered hundreds of small towns across the country.
The fibre network operator notes these firms united around a common cause, “a burning desire to bring world-class internet to all South Africans, including those in small towns and rural areas”.
The 100 000 milestone comes as SA is witnessing a fibre “land grab” in the country, with players jostling for market share.
Fibre demand for the home market also witnessed increased activity, as more and more people took to remote working and learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Van Zyl Botha, Herotel CEO, comments: “This would not have been possible without everyone's dedication and hard work. Since 2019, we have completed 53 projects in towns across South Africa. We are looking forward to passing the next 100 000 stands. Well done to all Herotel staff.”
According to the company, this milestone comes on the back of ongoing investments in the core and transmission network.
Herotel recently upgraded to a segment routing network that, it says, makes the network efficient, easier to automate and results in the ability to provide better quality services at a lower cost to its customers.
The company also recently shook-up the local fibre market when it announced revised fibre-to-the-home pricing, including a 50Mbps symmetrical uncapped option for R499 per month.
According to the fibre network operator, all of its products are symmetrical (the download and upload speeds are the same) with no fair use policies, and includes free installation and a free-to-use router.
“We build aerial fibre networks which allow us to deploy faster and with far less disruption to municipal infrastructure and private property,” says Botha.
“We always want to lead the market in terms of value to the customer, and hope that eventually we can remove all speed distinctions from our products.”
Botha adds Herotel is a direct access operator, which sells directly to the end-customer to keep quality high and prices low.
The company notes customers have responded positively to Hero Fibre, with take-up rates of between 40-60% in parts of Klerksdorp, Lichtenburg, Queenstown, Hoedspruit, Potchefstroom, East London, Worcester and Pretoria, mainly in estates.
Earlier this year, Herotel said it was in the process of constructing 16 fibre networks in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces.
Once the networks are complete, more than 50 000 households and businesses will be able to access fibre internet speeds of up to 200Mbps, it noted.
It also said it will bring fibre internet to more than 18 new towns in the Western Cape, taking the tally to 24.
Analysts previously told ITWeb that if Herotel is able to successfully expand its network, and also embrace the open access model that will allow big internet service providers (ISPs), such as Afrihost, Cool Ideas, Supersonic, Vodacom and Vox, with greater operational scale, to leverage its network, perhaps at that stage, it would be in a position to effectively influence market competition locally.
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