Telkom’s surprising 20Mbps, 40Mbps VDSL numbers

Telkom launched its 20Mbps and 40Mbps VDSL services in March 2013, and according to information received by MyBroadband, far fewer than 1,000 users across the country are using these services.

According to a detailed breakdown of Telkom’s VDSL subscribers across the country provided to MyBroadband by a source:

• 20Mbps VDSL: 310 customers
• 40Mbps VDSL: 220 customers

Although Telkom would not officially verify these numbers, two independent sources with good knowledge of the VDSL product uptake said that these numbers look accurate.

This means that just over 500 businesses have signed up for Telkom’s VDSL products since their launch in March 2013.

The biggest factor contributing to the slow take-up is the limited availability of the service. Even in areas where Telkom has rolled out MSANs, which support VDSL, not all subscribers can get VDSL.

The high-quality copper wires and short local loop length needed to support 20Mbps and 40Mbps VDSL means that it will take Telkom a long time to “renew” its network.

The relatively slow VDSL coverage growth means that the uptake is likely to remain low in 2014. This is unless Telkom launches an aggressive project to growth its MSAN footprint in the major metropolitan areas.

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