Fibre internet in Gauteng on Openserve (Telkom) network

jcheek said:
Best enjoy that 50% while you can, StoneCold ... seems either some techie in Bloem likes you, or made a typo on the setup screen ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah, funny how I also complained about not getting 50% upload speed, I'm one of the lucky ones nowadays ;)

Here's hoping it lasts, maybe it's something that Telkom will hopefully do for everyone in the near future :)
 
Double data caps on Telkom FTTH deals ?

dualmeister said:
The 40meg deal used to be 100GB ...
Click to expand...
The link is for all current Telkom fibre deals, as being advertised right now.

20160730 Telkom FTTH deals.jpg

So officially at least, the 40Mbps FTTH deal has a 100GB cap. But .....


dualmeister said:
... but then it was doubled for a while...
Click to expand...
I did find this old MyBB press release that talks about doubled data allocations on the SoftCap products from for 6 months 1 Oct 2015 to 31 Mar 2016. That promotion was recently extended for another 3 months, until 30 Jun 2016 - see here.
The articles both talk specifically about ADSL users, but I guess the fibre products were included in the scope ?


dualmeister said:
... and now it's 200GB month.
Click to expand...
I guess that after 9 months, it was starting to feel kinda permanent :D
But here's the article (dated 4 July 2016) where they announced that they're making the promotion permanent. Again, only ADSL users are mentioned.


dualmeister said:
After hours is basically uncapped
Click to expand...
That part is standard NightSurfer, yes.


I vaguely remember seeing the "Double data" press releases, but dismissed them since they seemed to apply specifically to ADSL only.
Time for Telkom to get its fibre advertising in sync !?
 
Last edited:
dualmeister said:
View attachment 379063
Click to expand...
Thanks, dualmeister. Do we assume that you're on a nominal 40Mbps "100GB" Telkom FTTH package ?

Edit :
dualmeister said:
1 August 2016, 40 Mbps FTTH
Click to expand...
Confirmed. Thanks for the update!

I guess we'll wait to see if Telkom resolve the conflicting messages and make it official in their fibre advertising. That would be quite a coup ... but then, they've had a couple of those lately!
 
Last edited:
Maybe it was for existing customers at the time, but don't know.

Just want then to drop 100Mbps pricing to 40Mpbs pricing like they kept dropping the ADSL pricing :p
 
Telkom doubled all their SoftCap accounts (there is no distinction on the last mile). Started off as a promotion but they logically made it permanent. 20Mb moved from 50Gb to 100Gb. Hardly enough. I need atleast 200Gb.....
 
Hi there folks,

So I've been following this thread jealously since the start.

Earlier this year I came home to my complex (also Faerie Glen) with a random hole in the road after entering the complex with a Huawei sign up next to it. I sent off an email to the caretaker asking him what the construction is about (just to get confirmation) and he confirmed that Telkom is installing fibre in the complex. (This was about March / April)

Then in May they finished up after laying down lots of cables and also making 3x manholes, but I was still in the planned phase according to the Telkom map with WebAfrica also saying that they can't help until it is shown as live. Then early in July I saw a bunch of Telkom bakkies splicing right through the weekend outside the complex (I think I saw them the Friday morning at about 10am and they were still there the Sunday morning) and a couple of days later I saw the magical Purple block and immediately placed my order. (17 July)

On 2 August I got a call from WA for a bit more information needed by Telkom such as complex and unit number to ensure that they have everything correct as the call has now gone through various departments at Telkom and is now at the implementation phase and on 5 August I got a call from Telkom stating that they will be at my place on 8 August (today) to do the installation.

I got a call from the gate at about 08:30 (still in my pajamas) that the guys are here and opened up for them. They came with 2x bakkies and 4 gentleman to assist with the installation as I am the 1st in the complex to get fibre installed.

They left at 10:30 unable to get fibre to my house :cry: stating that the body corp needs to provide infrastructure suitable for fibre in order to get fibre pulled through to the houses.

They said that they would normally simply open up the telephone box inside the house and pull out the fibre cable, splice it up and then the install is done within an hour or 2. Our complex has copper telephone wiring coming from the ground up at a wall in my yard which then goes through the wall to the inside where the telephone 'socket' is. Usually the fibre would already be there, ready to be pulled through, but Huawei's guys did not push the fibre through to the houses as yet.

After a visit to the manhole and the box in my neighbour's yard they discovered that the current infrastructure loops the copper through the boxes at each house, so basically there is 1x big plastic tube with the copper cables of about 5 - 7 houses which then loops from house to house in every 'section' of the complex.

So they said that they will in essence have to knock at every house from mine until the manhole (5 houses) in order to loop the fibre back into the ground to go off to the next house.

Has anybody experienced anything like this or know what will happen going forward? I am 99% sure that the body corp won't spend on getting infrastructure down for a couple of us wanting fibre, but the copper here is so bad that the complex is less than 1km from the exchange and I can only get 2mbps ADSL.

Inside:
20160808_111943.jpg

Outside:
20160808_155412.jpg
 
Last edited:
p[ay3r said:
Hi there folks
So I've been following this thread jealously since the start.
Click to expand...
Howdy p[ay3r ! Welcome.


p[ay3r said:
Our complex has copper telephone wiring coming from the ground up at a wall in my yard which then goes through the wall to the inside where the telephone 'socket' is. Usually the fibre would already be there, ready to be pulled through, but Huawei's guys did not push the fibre through to the houses as yet.
After a visit to the manhole and the box in my neighbour's yard they discovered that the current infrastructure loops the copper through the boxes at each house, so basically there is 1x big plastic tube with the copper cables of about 5 - 7 houses which then loops from house to house in every 'section' of the complex.
Click to expand...
Looking at your pics, I presume the conduit is coming from a distant manhole, into a plastic box on your outside wall, just below the level of the black plastic damp-proof course (DPC). Questions :
  1. I assume there's another conduit that goes from the back of this box, through the wall, and then up into the bottom of the inside box, which would be at a level above the floor (ie above the DPC). Correct ?
  2. That being the case, it looks like the "loop-through" conduit to the next house in the chain is taken from the inside box, not the outside one. Correct ?
  3. Judging from the pics, the incoming conduit "big plastic tube" looks like 25mm, not 22. Correct ?
I assume the complex developers decided to run one multi-pair cable to provide copper fixed-line services to between 5 and 7 houses. It looks they're splitting off one pair to serve each house.
That makes perfect sense for copper fixed-line services ... not so much for fibre services. :(


p[ay3r said:
So they said that they will in essence have to knock at every house from mine until the manhole (5 houses) in order to loop the fibre back into the ground to go off to the next house.
Click to expand...
^This.
To be able to provide fibre, Telkom would need to run one individual fibre (or possibly one multi-fibre cable) from the manhole to each of the 5-7 houses served. At each house they would then need to terminate a fibre to provide data (and potentially voice) services to that household. To do this on its own (fibre only, no copper) is probably very feasible. Even doing it with 5-7 individual drop cables is probably quite do-able, given that each such drop cable has approx 3mm OD and the conduit is 25mm (I think). However the problem is going to be those houses that still want copper fixed-line services - it would be very difficult (read : near-impossible) to pull fibre drop cables through together with that old multi-pair copper cable, even if Telkom took the approach of pulling out the old cable first and then pulling it back in together with fibre.

As I see it, to be able make use of the existing ducting (conduit) infrastructure, as opposed to re-trenching and laying new ducts, you or your BC would probably have to get each of the 5-7 houses in a "chain" to agree to toss copper fixed-line services in favour of fibre fixed-line services. Whether that's viable or not depends on the households involved. If they are all net-savvy with existing DSL (or LTE) internet connections, then getting them to go fibre - with or without fibre-based fixed-line voice services - should be a fairly easy sell. If they did want voice services, their same landline number could be ported across to fibre.
The hassle would be deciding on whether or not to cater for those households - present or future - that might still want copper-based fixed-line services.


p[ay3r said:
I am 99% sure that the body corp won't spend on getting infrastructure down for a couple of us wanting fibre, but the copper here is so bad that the complex is less than 1km from the exchange and I can only get 2mbps ADSL.
Click to expand...
As I see it, if your Body Corporate wants to avoid re-trenching for fibre, you might have better luck getting the BC to approach Telkom on behalf of the whole complex to change all their copper fixed-line services to fibre, using the existing ducting. Note that I'm assuming aerial distribution is not an option (?).
That's not an easy task, but it would probably be a good investment in the complex's future.
Given that Telkom is actively trying to convert existing DSL subscribers to FTTH in areas where the infrastructure exists (free trials), this might not be as daunting as it sounds.
It rather depends on the make-up of the residents as to whether that idea will fly or not.


p[ay3r said:
Has anybody experienced anything like this or know what will happen going forward?
Click to expand...
I've dropped a post into the Mooikloof Ridge thread as some of the guys there have recent experience of "housing complex" style installations where the same issue may have cropped up.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
That's a mission. Interesting way to wire a complex. It's kind of like a pseudo daisy chain except each house gets its own pair of copper cables within the bunch. Sounds like it would be a nightmare trying to get a second line, and trying to isolate which copper pairs are not being used by another house. As jcheek says, the first prize would be to remove all the copper from the ducting, and at the same time pulling thru individual fibre cables for each house.

Otherwise your second option, if the complex are a bunch of old fogeys, is to interact with the BC and find out whether you can go ahead and install your own ducting through the gardens (hopefully no paving, but that is doable too). Worth the investment IMO, raises your property value to have fibre. I'm not an expert in pulling cable thru ducting, but I'm not sure there is a way to get a fibre cable pulled thru there without having to remove the copper cable first.
 
jcheek said:
Questions :
  1. I assume there's another conduit that goes from the back of this box, through the wall, and then up into the bottom of the inside box, which would be at a level above the floor (ie above the DPC). Correct ?
  2. That being the case, it looks like the "loop-through" conduit to the next house in the chain is taken from the inside box, not the outside one. Correct ?
  3. Judging from the pics, the incoming conduit "big plastic tube" looks like 25mm, not 22. Correct ?
I assume the complex developers decided to run one multi-pair cable to provide copper fixed-line services to between 5 and 7 houses. It looks they're splitting off one pair to serve each house.
That makes perfect sense for copper fixed-line services ... not so much for fibre services. :(
Click to expand...

  1. I looked at it after making the post and based on the cable that is going through to the wall and where my copper is cut it looks like it is actually coming “in” to my house before looping and going out.
  2. Jip. Looks like it comes up, goes down again and then down even more from outside.
  3. I’m not too sure about the size and couldn’t see any markings…

jcheek said:
However the problem is going to be those houses that still want copper fixed-line services - it would be very difficult (read : near-impossible) to pull fibre drop cables through together with that old multi-pair copper cable, even if Telkom took the approach of pulling out the old cable first and then pulling it back in together with fibre.
Click to expand...

Jip. I can always ask them to try and push the fibre through along with the current copper IF it will fit, but I can’t see taking it out and putting both in together happening…

jcheek said:
As I see it, to be able make use of the existing ducting (conduit) infrastructure, as opposed to re-trenching and laying new ducts, you or your BC would probably have to get each of the 5-7 houses in a "chain" to agree to toss copper fixed-line services in favour of fibre fixed-line services. Whether that's viable or not depends on the households involved. If they are all net-savvy with existing DSL (or LTE) internet connections, then getting them to go fibre - with or without fibre-based fixed-line voice services - should be a fairly easy sell. If they did want voice services, their same landline number could be ported across to fibre.
The hassle would be deciding on whether or not to cater for those households - present or future - that might still want copper-based fixed-line services.
Click to expand...

^This.
I’m not too sure, but my idea at the moment is to chat to the BC at the AGM to ask them what the plan is to get fibre to the houses.
If they don’t have a plan I will ask them permission to go through to the houses in my “row” in order to replace the copper with fibre.
As in I will actually knock on each of the 5 or so houses to ask if they are using any copper based services and then get that moved over to fibre based services for them. It’s an idea, but it’s something…


jcheek said:
As I see it, if your Body Corporate wants to avoid re-trenching for fibre, you might have better luck getting the BC to approach Telkom on behalf of the whole complex to change all their copper fixed-line services to fibre, using the existing ducting. Note that I'm assuming aerial distribution is not an option (?).
That's not an easy task, but it would probably be a good investment in the complex's future.
Given that Telkom is actively trying to convert existing DSL subscribers to FTTH in areas where the infrastructure exists (free trials), this might not be as daunting as it sounds.
It rather depends on the make-up of the residents as to whether that idea will fly or not.
Click to expand...
I haven’t spoken to the BC as yet, I just mentioned that they will most likely not add a new trench for fibre, but we can always hope!
There’s no aerial distribution inside the complex at all, so that’s not an option unless they decide that an option is to start aerial distribution, but I doubt that…



jcheek said:
I've dropped a post into the Mooikloof Ridge thread as some of the guys there have recent experience of "housing complex" style installations where the same issue may have cropped up.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thanks for that! I’ve subscribed to that thread now as well.



Inertia said:
Otherwise your second option, if the complex are a bunch of old fogeys, is to interact with the BC and find out whether you can go ahead and install your own ducting through the gardens (hopefully no paving, but that is doable too). Worth the investment IMO, raises your property value to have fibre. I'm not an expert in pulling cable thru ducting, but I'm not sure there is a way to get a fibre cable pulled thru there without having to remove the copper cable first.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, there isn’t a garden only. I was thinking of perhaps doing something similar by getting fibre out by the 1st house and then using PVC piping and ducting it behind the boundary walls of the neighbours behind us as all their walls are connected without gates until it’s by my place. Then the only real paving trenching would be where it comes out and then across from the boundary wall of the neighbor across the walkway into my yard.
Obviously I am thinking about other neighbours, because as nice an idea as that is, it won't be feasible should 70 other units decide that they want fibre as well.



The only main issue for me here was the project planning? I don't understand why Telkom / Huawei would come in and trench up the complex, add 3x manholes and light up the fibre with no real plan on getting it into the houses.
BUT I suppose it's the same old argument of Telkom not being responsible for infrastructure inside a complex anymore. Surely someone must have thought about that though.
 
StoneCold said:
Yeah, funny how I also complained about not getting 50% upload speed, I'm one of the lucky ones nowadays ;)
Here's hoping it lasts, maybe it's something that Telkom will hopefully do for everyone in the near future :)
Click to expand...

Witman22 said:
Okay update on my fibre in Lyttleton, Centurion! I ordered it from webafrica on the 16th of July 2016. Got a call from telkom last week Friday the 6th of August 2016 to say that a techie wil be there on Monday the 8th of August 2016 to install my fibre. Monday came the techie was early at the complex at 10am. Struggled till about 3pm and boom fibre up and running, full speed at 100Mbps! upload is about 49mbps.
Click to expand...

Hmmm .... interesting.
 
Last edited:
Inertia said:
Telkom doubled all their SoftCap accounts (there is no distinction on the last mile). Started off as a promotion but they logically made it permanent. 20Mb moved from 50Gb to 100Gb.
Click to expand...

jcheek said:
On a slightly different (and off-topic) note, this is a nice touch by WebAfrica :
I'm on a nominal 100GB package, so I've been enjoying the extra 100GB this past month, and looking forward to the same luxury for the next two.
Click to expand...

Along the same lines as the previous ^ discussions, and following Telkom's decision to double their xDSL/FTTH data caps permanently, it looks like the rest of the market - well, WebAfrica, at least - might be going in the same direction on the OpenServe-based packages.
The chart below shows WebAfrica's current all-inclusive capped FTTH package prices (source : here) on the OpenServe network :

20160815 WebAfrica-OpenServe FTTH pricing (Medium).jpg

So in their current advertising, WebAfrica's 40Mbps/R938pm package is being advertised as having a 200GB cap. Prior to the "double data" promotion in July, the same price only bought you 100GB.
There's a disclaimer to say the current doubling is temporary and will be reviewed in September, but given that they're advertising the package openly at 200GB, it seems a safe bet that it'll become a permanent feature and thus match the other offering(s) in the market.

So since signing with WebAfrica on the 40Mbps/R938pm package (in August 2015), I've seen the data caps move as follows :

Aug 2015 : 60GB + 240GB ( Anytime + NightSurfer)
Dec 2015 : 100GB + 1000GB
Jul 2016 : 200GB + 1000GB (3 months from Jul to Sep 2016)

Nice to see FTTH gaining traction and the bang-for-buck levels rising.

(Edit : The WebAfrica's cap-doubling on OpenServe lines did indeed became permanent as from 1 Sep. See the official announcement that was made on 24 Aug here. )
 
Last edited:
Is it just me or did the Telkom fibre coverage map for Pretoria change ?
 
slarti said:
Is it just me or did the Telkom fibre coverage map for Pretoria change ?
Click to expand...

Welcome to the thread, slarti !
There do seem to have been a couple of recent updates, yes. Mostly on the 'Planned' side. Quick link here.

Relative to the situation as at 8 April 2016:

As at 25 Jul 2016 (changes underlined):
Available : Willow Acre Estate; Clearwater Flyfishing Estate.
Planned : Die Wilgers, Equestria Estate, Six Fountains, Silver Lakes Estate, Lombardy Estate; Garsfontein (north of Zita Street); Kloofsig.

As at 20 Aug 2016 (changes underlined):
Available : Kloofsig, Willow Acre Estate, Clearwater Flyfishing Estate.
Planned : Montana Park; Val de Grace, Murrayfield, Meyerspark; Lynnwood Manor, Lynnrodene, Lynnwood Ridge; Die Wilgers, Equestria Estate, Six Fountains, Silver Lakes Estate, Lombardy Estate, Mooikloof, Garsfontein (north of Zita Street).

20160820 Telkom FTTH coverage in Pretoria.jpg

I guess for a lot of folks living out Mooikloof way, the move to 'Planned' stage is very welcome news.
 
Last edited:
jcheek said:
Hmmm .... interesting.
Click to expand...

I can confirm my upload speed has been increased to 50% of download:

5569318900.png
 
Inertia said:
It's probably happening in tranches.
Click to expand...
^This.
I would also assume that Telkom is going to boost the upload speed for its own customers first, before - or indeed, even if - it upgrades those connected through resellers.
(My (WebAfrica) connection's still at 20%, despite a couple of power-cycle reboots.)

biena, what's up with your (Telkom/Telkom) connection these days ?
 
Last edited:
jcheek said:
^This.
I would also assume that Telkom is going to boost the upload speed for its own customers first, before - or indeed, even if - it upgrades those connected through resellers.
(My (WebAfrica) connection's still at 20%, despite a couple of power-cycle reboots.)

biena, what's up with your (Telkom/Telkom) connection these days ?
Click to expand...

I can't see Openserve being able to get away with just increasing the speeds for Telkom ISP connections and not other ones. Maybe shoot WebAfrica a mail?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X