Bloemfontein FTTH Thread

StoneCold

StoneCold

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Hi guys,

Seeing that Bloemfontein has been added for future planned FTTH roll out via Telkom, I decided that we too deserve our own thread :)

Here is a map of the different areas that has been identified: http://i.imgur.com/EoyldHB.jpg

Last week Wednesday I received a notification in the mail about the FTTH roll out in my suburb (Universitas-Ridge) and this past week Wednesday contractors already rocked up and have started already with what appears to me to be the beginnings of an MSAN which has a trench running from it to a nearby electrical substation.

I'm going to take some pictures after work and will upload them here. I'm just super stoked that we too finally have fibre roll here in good old Bloem. A lot of other areas (Langenhovenpark, Fichartpark, Dan Pienaar) seems to have VDSL roll out happening soon as well, but no fibre (at this stage).

I'm just glad that my suburb will get fibre as I'm not really interested in VDSL anyway :D

Anyhow, just wanted to share my excitement and will update this thread throughout the entire procedure as it takes place :)
 
Yesterday they started to dig up the pavement across the street. Couldn't take any pics since I had to leave for work, however, this morning I managed to snap a few shots.

First one is a bit blurry, apologies for that:

http://i.imgur.com/NVZFp7U.jpg

That appears to be ducting?

Here is a roll that was just lying on the ground next to it:

http://i.imgur.com/Oupc0qx.jpg

And a few close ups of the inner:

http://i.imgur.com/QsRKKr0.jpg

and

http://i.imgur.com/YTEytLD.jpg

I have to say that they haven't really done a lot of digging around the suburb. Seems like there is already an infrastructure in place for the copper, they're just adding the ducting to it. One question though, do they normally dig/lay the ducting on both sides of the road? Probably not?

I'm just wondering if they'll dig up the road at some point to bring the fibre to my side of the street, they will eventually I suppose :)
 
Telkom doesn't provision for both fibre and VDSL, it's either/or. Good luck!
 
Marakker said:
Oh fark..... I didn't know that.
Click to expand...

Fibre is generally used where there isn't an MSAN close enough to supply VDSL services. If you notice the pricing and speeds/caps, they are very similar services. I don't know of a single area that has both Telkom VDSL and fibre
 
Inertia said:
Fibre is generally used where there isn't an MSAN close enough to supply VDSL services. If you notice the pricing and speeds/caps, they are very similar services. I don't know of a single area that has both Telkom VDSL and fibre
Click to expand...

Yeah, not the first time that I see someone mention that here on MyBB. We don't have a MSAN in our suburb, closest is probably 3km+ if not further. What fascinates me is how these guys are going about lying the ducting etc.

One question though, the pictures that I posted (last 2 specificly) do any of those contain any fibre? Or do they still need to pull it through? :o
 
StoneCold said:
Yeah, not the first time that I see someone mention that here on MyBB. We don't have a MSAN in our suburb, closest is probably 3km+ if not further. What fascinates me is how these guys are going about lying the ducting etc.

One question though, the pictures that I posted (last 2 specificly) do any of those contain any fibre? Or do they still need to pull it through? :o
Click to expand...

Those are just ducts and don't have fibre through them yet.
 
luketang56 said:
So has anyone jumped over to FTTH yet? According to Telkom Coverage you can now get it in Universitas and Rayton :)
Click to expand...

Hi luketang,

I live in Universitas, so I'm definitely keen on ordering FTTH. Thinking of ordering via Vox seeing that their costs are so much cheaper vs that of going via Telkom especially for the 100mb/s route.

Will drop Vox a mail and hear what they have to say, seeing that they haven't updated their site to reflect our province just yet. I promise to share my experiences here as soon as I do place my order :)
 
StoneCold said:
Hi luketang,

I live in Universitas, so I'm definitely keen on ordering FTTH. Thinking of ordering via Vox seeing that their costs are so much cheaper vs that of going via Telkom especially for the 100mb/s route.

Will drop Vox a mail and hear what they have to say, seeing that they haven't updated their site to reflect our province just yet. I promise to share my experiences here as soon as I do place my order :)
Click to expand...

Thanks StoneCold!

Also planning on getting it when it becomes available as it is still in "Planned" phase on the coverage map, in Waverley that is.

Have seen them around recently though digging etc, etc. So hopefully soon!
 
Have anyone in Bloem managed to get FFTH? We're in Willows and would like to get FTTH for the business, but it doesn't look like we're covered yet.
 
Pakka said:
Have anyone in Bloem managed to get FFTH? We're in Willows and would like to get FTTH for the business, but it doesn't look like we're covered yet.
Click to expand...

Telkom will probably phone me later today to confirm an installation date & time. Already received account info, they're really keen to install but couldn't because I wasn't home for the past 2 weeks. I'll keep you updated, but it should hopefully be done during the week. I'm located in Universitas-Ridge.

Pakka, you must just check on Telkom's coverage map if you can get FTTB, but afaik, you can't unfortunately because there isn't any Telkom fibre in Willows :(

EDIT: You can try Lightspeed.co.za

They have fibre coverage for Willows and they also have FTTB packages, see here:
http://lightspeed.co.za/images/forms/FTTB Brochure Web.pdf
 
Last edited:
Just a quick update.

Everything is installed and ready to rock and roll on my side, but unfortunately the contractors made a balls up somewhere and there is a fiber break somewhere in the neighborhood on my side of the road which will probably only be fixed tomorrow morning by the Telkom technicians. According to one of the techies, there are only 4 of them that are qualified for fiber installations in the whole Free State province and on top of that, I'm the 4th person to have fiber installed in the province (2nd in my neighborhood) :D

It's been two days now since, but I suppose another evening on ADSL wouldn't hurt, plus I can still use the internet, lol.

So I have to wait a little bit longer before I can experience ultra fast internet, but good things come to those who wait I suppose ;)
 
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StoneCold said:
Just a quick update.

Everything is installed and ready to rock and roll on my side, but unfortunately the contractors made a balls up somewhere and there is a fiber break somewhere in the neighborhood on my side of the road which will probably only be fixed tomorrow morning by the Telkom technicians. According to one of the techies, there are only 4 of them that are qualified for fiber installations in the whole Free State province and on top of that, I'm the 4th person to have fiber installed in the province (2nd in my neighborhood) :D

It's been two days now since, but I suppose another evening on ADSL wouldn't hurt, plus I can still use the internet, lol.

So I have to wait a little bit longer before I can experience ultra fast internet, but good things come to those who wait I suppose ;)
Click to expand...

Congrats! Hope it gets sorted soon.

You don't by any chance have a techy's phone number? I'd like to ask a few questions about availability in different areas.
 
Pakka said:
Congrats! Hope it gets sorted soon.

You don't by any chance have a techy's phone number? I'd like to ask a few questions about availability in different areas.
Click to expand...

Thanks!

I'm still waiting for them to fix the break, hopefully throughout today it will be sorted. I did ask the tech about different areas yesterday afternoon and he said that Telkom is in the process of upgrading various exchanges in Bloem.

They can apparently install GPON devices (on which their fibre operates) in MSANs as well. He also mentioned that LHP will also get fibre in the future. He couldn't give me a specific time frame, but I'm sure it will happen sometime this year. I see that there are various MSANs in LHP, so they'll most likely that that route to deploy fibre there and in Dan Pienaar as well to cut down on costs. How they'll deliver it to homes via MSANs I don't know, maybe trenching I suppose?

Unfortunately I don't have any of the techie's phone numbers, I did ask, but they weren't very keen on giving it out. If there is an area that you want to know about specifically, let me know and I'll ask them when they come round my house again today / tomorrow :)
 
StoneCold said:
Thanks!

I'm still waiting for them to fix the break, hopefully throughout today it will be sorted. I did ask the tech about different areas yesterday afternoon and he said that Telkom is in the process of upgrading various exchanges in Bloem.

They can apparently install GPON devices (on which their fibre operates) in MSANs as well. He also mentioned that LHP will also get fibre in the future. He couldn't give me a specific time frame, but I'm sure it will happen sometime this year. I see that there are various MSANs in LHP, so they'll most likely that that route to deploy fibre there and in Dan Pienaar as well to cut down on costs. How they'll deliver it to homes via MSANs I don't know, maybe trenching I suppose?

Unfortunately I don't have any of the techie's phone numbers, I did ask, but they weren't very keen on giving it out. If there is an area that you want to know about specifically, let me know and I'll ask them when they come round my house again today / tomorrow :)
Click to expand...

Thanks man. Our offices are in Victoria Street, Willows. Please do hear about availability here
 
Pakka said:
Thanks man. Our offices are in Victoria Street, Willows. Please do hear about availability here
Click to expand...

Cool man, will do.

Don't know if you saw my post on the previous page about lightspeed.co.za ?

They cover the Willows area.

Have a look at their brochure: http://lightspeed.co.za/images/forms/FTTB Brochure Web.pdf

However, I saw a contractor laying fibre for Telkom in Victoria Street (from the opposite corner of the church) upwards in the direction of Desley's (with Desleys on your left). You don't perhaps drive that red VW Scirocco that parks close to the street?

In front of HTS Technical High School, I'm pretty sure they're laying fibre there as well, long trench running up the road, but I've yet to see a sign if it's also fibre for Telkom.
 
Trenches were dug and i think it was fibre being laid right on our office's doorstep - but according to the Telkom map there is no availability currently or planned.

I did contact Lightspeed and they said they need R14k worth of contracts in Victoria Road to consider hooking us up
 
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