Fibre infrastructure investment to benefit Eastern Cape

DFA has evolved into the largest open access fibre infrastructure provider in Southern Africa with an expenditure plan in excess of R3.5 billion countrywide.

The socio-economic benefits of fibre optic networks are vast, since affordable broadband contributes to increased economic activity. Expansion of communications infrastructure brings about new business opportunities that are dependent on broadband like ISPs, Internet cafés and banking services.

Access to electronic services

Open access broadband also stimulates competition within the telecommunications market, ultimately reducing Internet costs. Furthermore, the competitive advantage and productivity gains of broadband are enormous. Municipalities are able to provide electronic services, education levels improve with access to information and communities have access to eHealth and eLearning.

Dark Fibre Africa CEO Gustav Smit says they merely provide the open fibre infrastructure. "This enables licensed operators like Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and ISPs like Internet Solutions and MWEB to give communities easier access to the network at much greater speeds."

Smit has called on ISPs to play a leading role in mobilising communities. "End users simply don't know what 20Mbps or 100Mbps to the home means. An opportunity needs to be created for users to test drive serious broadband. DFA is here to provide a long term sustainable solution to the local community."

The Mthata project is planned to start in June 2012 and the project in East London will be completed by the end of July 2012.