Speaking at the recent launch of Vodacom’s new On-The-Line mobile advertising campaign, Vodacom CEO Alan Knott-Craig said that the company has started rolling out their fiber network in Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
The company is rolling out around 2 km of fiber per day, working mostly at night to minimize disruption and optimize working efficiency. Knott-Craig joked that while it is a humble step, they have made 2 km of progress in their fixed line quest. <\/p>\n
Earlier this year Vodacom announced that it is planning to roll out its own fixed line network, mainly to support its own growth. Broadband uptake is one of the biggest drivers putting pressure on the company to upgrade its transmission network, and with the high mobile broadband uptake this demand will continue to grow.<\/p>\n
Vodacom currently relies mainly on Telkom for its fixed line transmission network, but extensive lead times for new links and upgrades and the high costs associated with these links made both Vodacom and MTN decide to invest in their own fiber infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Vodacom, through its newly formed division Vodacom Converged Solutions, plans to initially build seven fiber rings in metropolitan areas. <\/p>\n
Vodacom’s main rival – MTN – is also investing heavily in their own fiber networks, and has recently announced that it plans to roll out its own national fixed line network.<\/p>\n
MTN has already launched commercial fiber based offerings in the Sandton and Rosebank areas where they have an established fixed line network.<\/p>\n