Vanilla ISP blog post on Fibre

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The Fastest Internet in Africa - http://blog.vanilla.co.za/2015/09/the-fastest-internet-in-africa.html

Fibre has recently become a much-used buzzword, referring to super fast internet connectivity. Many companies are offering deals of 10Mbps or even 20Mbps Fibre. Compared to Telkom's 2Mbps ADSL lines, this might seem really fast. Yet, this is not even half of what fibre should be giving you. Fibre means 100-1000Mbps, so the promises of "lighting fast" connectivity with 10Mbps are a bit of a stretch. Vanilla is a very small ISP (Internet Service Provider) and as such we are able to keep our network the fastest, cleanest network in all of Africa (independently measured by speedtest collator, Ookla). We recently reached an average upload/download speed of over 100Mbps across all our servers - this effectively means each of our customers are getting the real speeds of fibre. We joke about this analogy, but when it comes to service, we really are the Ferrari of fast Internet.

We want to provide this to users, but being on a fast network means you have to be conscious and discerning. I have to start this by admitting that I have never thought of myself as a "technology" person. Indeed, my technological skills could be likened to those of a newborn two-toed sloth. Now, however, I am slowly developing some dexterity in my two toes. This education began with my first day at Vanilla, where I learnt that "fibre" refers to the use of fibre optic cables, made from fiberglass, where previously, internet was transmitted via copper cables or radio waves. The mode of transmission, however, is really not important: the speed is. This means that consciousness while using is tantamount. This is not a Citi Golf, it's a Ferrari. Not that there's anything wrong with Citi Golfs (I used to have one), but if you’re driving a car as powerful as a Ferrari, you have to be responsible. Having a super fast network will mean that people target your network in order to exploit its booty - don't let them take your car for a joyride. Vanilla can only be the fastest and most economical by metering your usage which is the most valuable tool for ensuring the "cleanness" of a network.

Then we have the capped versus uncapped debate. Most people instinctively think uncapped will be better, because more is more right? Maybe not. If you can only download at a speed of 3Mbps second, you won't be getting much out of that "uncapped" service. In fact, for a while Vanilla had a Hall of Fame for the highest downloaders in a month, with basic uncapped accounts. They were all awarded a large tub of vanilla frozen yoghurt, because it takes a lot of determination to squeeze out every drop you can from a slow connection. If, however, you have 100Mbps, it will be like turning on a tap and having water gush out, continually. We can give you the cleanest, widest pipe, but we can’t give you free water, so you have to be aware of how much you use. We have many services that help you monitor this, and you will also become a much more conscious internet user.

So, who wants a Ferrari?
 
Stopped reading at "Fibre means 100-1000Mbps,"

Fibre can be any speed, Fibre is the technology used to connect you to the backbone it has nothing to do with speed.
If you believe that definition then LTE-A also qualifies as fibre.

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This education began with my first day at Vanilla, where I learnt that "fibre" refers to the use of fibre optic cables, made from fiberglass,
No it is not made from fiberglass, it is made from glass or plastic drawn to specific thickness.

Go and look at their homepage, find the fibre option on there. Could not find it ? me neither.
So why should I believe this blog ?

Then linking a image with speedtests from the whole spectrum of access technology (adsl/vdsl/fibre/lte/3g) and comparing it against fibre. What is the point ?
 
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From the way it is posted it appears to be your article. Is that the case?

Really? I've never used Vanilla in my life. I thought it was quite a poor article but posted it here so others can rip it apart lol :P
 
Really? I've never used Vanilla in my life. I thought it was quite a poor article but posted it here so others can rip it apart lol :P

Oh. Nothing personal, or not meant to be but if you put the article in quotes and then the url and your comments just below, it gives you some distance. People actually do it both ways on mybb and then's no actual protocol. The quotes approach gives you a bit of distance. I must admit I did a bit of a double take on this one.
 
Hi, Thanks HunterGR, there's a fine line between love and hate so I'm flattered by your deep emotional feelings for me, I don't even know who you are :)
 
Did Alan Levin really write this ????

Hi Mickey, thanks for noting this, I did not write this. One of our PR consultants did. It's clearly not a mybb style post, although I'll explain the meaning of fibre 'should' mean 100-1000Mbps. She wrote this simply because there are so many ISPs selling 20Mbps or 30 or 50Mbps fibre that we struggle with some customers. They tell us that they don't want Gbps fibre.. so we offer them fixed wireless...
 
Hi, Thanks HunterGR, there's a fine line between love and hate so I'm flattered by your deep emotional feelings for me, I don't even know who you are :)

Hi Alan, you do actually know me, we have had a cup of coffee at your desk about a year ago.......that was the last time we communicated.
 
Isn't he the guy that runs Billy.co.za

Sjoe Sjoe sjoe, That site needs an update reminds me of the 2000's
 
Hi Alan, you do actually know me, we have had a cup of coffee at your desk about a year ago.......that was the last time we communicated.

I'm sorry that I have offended you... if there is anything I can do to make it up to you I am always willing to try :)
 
Isn't he the guy that runs Billy.co.za

Sjoe Sjoe sjoe, That site needs an update reminds me of the 2000's

sorry.. just saw your footer and tried to respond via the link.. completed the form and got this error "You don't have permission to access /contact/mail.php on this server." please be in touch, would love you to help with a fresh design! we even have various new illustrations available..
 
sorry.. just saw your footer and tried to respond via the link.. completed the form and got this error "You don't have permission to access /contact/mail.php on this server." please be in touch, would love you to help with a fresh design! we even have various new illustrations available..

You have me on a tight one. I'm in the the process of updating that website should have removed it from my sig.

Gawd dammit, it will be fixed before tomorrow. :sly:
 
You have me on a tight one. I'm in the the process of updating that website should have removed it from my sig.

Gawd dammit, it will be fixed before tomorrow. :sly:

not concerned about your website - it's great! :) more concerned about billy's :P
 
I'm sorry that I have offended you... if there is anything I can do to make it up to you I am always willing to try :)

No worries Alan, in my many years i have learnt it isn't healthy to hold grudges....
 
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