Fibre provides new basket of services
True broadband should provide businesses with speed and reliability in transmitting voice and bulk data, experts believe.
Stefano Mattiello, Neotel’s executive head: enterprise group, says the days of fixed-line telephone communication via copper cable are numbered, as the technology is obsolete.
However, fixed-line in the context of fibre is a completely different set of dynamics.
“We see a future in which we will have fibre cable in residential homes in two to three years and it is already in place in a number of businesses.
“If companies a want to run true broadband, anything from 10 to l00 megabytes and upwards, this can only be done with fibre and not with wireless technology, although we believe that wireless will always have a place.
“The new fixed-line dynamic that we are now creating is fibre, which is in a totally different league to copper cable. It comes with a basket of new services that were not available in this country before the arrival of fibre technology.”
Mattiello says that it is not Neotel’s intention to become a mobile operator.
“We see our market in the fixed wireless space as opposed to the mobile environment, although our consumer CDMA technology is superior to GSM as a wireless technology and gives a high degree of mobility.”
He says Neotel markets a set of offerings geared towards producing customised solutions for its customers. These touch on voice, data and internet, with different variants. The company is also moving into the managed services environment.
Mattiello says Neotel is delivering services to more than 200 corporations across its network.
“Currently our network deployment focus is in the high- density metropolitan areas. Our network provides extensive coverage across Johannesburg and Pretoria, as well as in the western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.”
He says that the next area of network development will focus more on second-tier centres in country areas.
“Our intention is that within the next five to 10 years we will be covering a large percentage of the population.”
Mattiello says that Neotel’s network deployment is equally balanced between enterprises and consumers.
“Our consumer market is relatively small but is growing, and is as important as the enterprise space. The consumer market has many frustrations. Individuals are saying they want an alternative service at home. Those same consumers head businesses that will make vital telecommunications decisions.”
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