Fibre internet in Gauteng on Openserve (Telkom) network

I could hear the sigh of relief in Garth's mail when I let him know that the installation has actually been completed successfully this time. He was getting so frustrated with the incompetence of the techies to read a simple job card.
I can imagine !


He did so much effort and escalation from his side. Pretty sure I would never have gotten it without his persistent nagging to the OpenServe service manager.
Great to hear!
(Just by way of contrast, my query to WebAfrica about "upgrading" my existing FTTH service to 50% upload speed has now been open for exactly 100 days, with essentially zero progress. Good choice of ISP on your part, I'd say).


I got the 10mbps uncapped offer from Garth.
Interesting! I think you might be one of the first on the thread (?) to go with an uncapped FTTH service.
I'd be interested to get feedback on your speeds as time goes by, since I would assume ISPAfrika also has to buy capacity on Telkom IPC.

Looking to get Showmax or similar for the wife and kids. I'm not a TV watcher but they do watch a fair bit and with a stable line we can finally consider a streaming service. Was impossible with my ADSL.
Enjoy it, mate. It's like night & day.


Retriever Street to be exact if you want to check the map.
Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Did a few speedtests while lying in bed last night and consistently got 9.5 down and between 4.7 and 5.3 up.
 
Anyone live in Jacques Street, Moreleta Park ?

Speaking of recent connections in "newly-purple" areas, is anyone on the thread aware of people who've just gone live with Openserve FTTH on the south-west side (ie the Wingate Park Country Club side) of Jacques Street, Moreleta Park ?

I see that areas around Jacques Street went "available" just a while back, and I see Openserve FTTH infrastructure along Jacques Street, in the vicinity of Melkbos Street :

20161223 FTTH along Jacques Street.JPG

20161208_175249 (Medium).jpg

20161208_175209_001 (Medium).jpg

I'm more interested in the area further towards De Villebois Mareuil as I've got a buddy there who's eager to go FTTH.

Anyone just been connected in that area ?
 
Last edited:
Speaking of recent connections in "newly-purple" areas, is anyone on the thread aware of people who've just gone live with Openserve FTTH on the south-west side (ie the Wingate Park Country Club side) of Jacques Street, Moreleta Park ?

I see that areas around Jacques Street went "available" just a while back, and I see Openserve FTTH infrastructure along Jacques Street, in the vicinity of Melkbos Street :

View attachment 407824

View attachment 407820

View attachment 407822

I'm more interested in the area further towards De Villebois Mareuil as I've got a buddy there who's eager to go FTTH.

Anyone just been connected in that area ?

Quick question regarding those black boxes with the yellow on. Is that actually the fibre connection point? I see that we have one down by our swimming pool.
 
Quick question regarding those black boxes with the yellow on.
Hey deathburst, welcome to the thread.


Is that actually the fibre connection point?
Yes, those junction boxes (aerial ones, in this case), are where the backbone fibre circuits are split out into individual subscriber circuits. From that box, another smaller fibre cable (called the "drop cable", in FTTH parlance) runs to the place in your house where the optical termination point (the ONT) will be.

In the second pic, you can see where the backbone fibre comes up out of the ground (inside the metal conduit attached to the side of the pole) and goes onto the aerial distribution system.
In the third pic, you can see the thicker backbone fibre coiled up above the splicing box. When the installation is complete, it will enter the splicing box from the bottom and be broken out onto individual subscriber drop cables which will eventually also exit the box from the bottom.

You can also see this arrangement in these old pics here and here.


I see that we have one down by our swimming pool.
Good news for you! Though it could still be a while till you can celebrate.
Whereabouts in Pta are you ?
 
Last edited:
Speaking of recent connections in "newly-purple" areas, is anyone on the thread aware of people who've just gone live with Openserve FTTH on the south-west side (ie the Wingate Park Country Club side) of Jacques Street, Moreleta Park ?

I see that areas around Jacques Street went "available" just a while back, and I see Openserve FTTH infrastructure along Jacques Street, in the vicinity of Melkbos Street :

View attachment 407824

View attachment 407820

View attachment 407822

I'm more interested in the area further towards De Villebois Mareuil as I've got a buddy there who's eager to go FTTH.

Anyone just been connected in that area ?

Hi jcheek

No fibre yet.
But spoke spoke to the technicians today and they they are still busy laying cables....
I see the fibre box on the old telkom poles on the golf course side, same pole where my dodgy adsl comes from.
But they said end Jan or Feb.
I am going for the line only axxess fibre.
And going to use my current vox fatpipe data.
Tested it on my brother's openserve fibre and works 100%.
 
Hey deathburst, welcome to the thread.



Yes, those junction boxes (aerial ones, in this case), are where the backbone fibre circuits are split out into individual subscriber circuits. From that box, another smaller fibre cable (called the "drop cable", in FTTH parlance) runs to the place in your house where the optical termination point (the ONT) will be.

In the second pic, you can see where the backbone fibre comes up out of the ground (inside the metal conduit attached to the side of the pole) and goes onto the aerial distribution system.
In the third pic, you can see the thicker backbone fibre coiled up above the splicing box. When the installation is complete, it will enter the splicing box from the bottom and be broken out onto individual subscriber drop cables which will eventually also exit the box from the bottom.

You can also see this arrangement in these old pics here and here.



Good news for you! Though it could still be a while till you can celebrate.
Whereabouts in Pta are you ?

Thanks for the reply Jcheek, we stay in Stonewall Lane in Faerie Glen
 
Sounds OK, albeit only 10Mbps. But ...


I don't even want to know their shaping or throttling policies, so even if my fibre was live I'd not take it.
Given the misery that Telkom's promotional "Uncapped LTE" deals have caused in recent months, I'd also treat this one with some caution. The required 2-year contract commitment is also a downer.


true, Installation costs also not mentioned...
Since it's a 2-year contract deal, I'd say it's almost certain that the installation cost is amortised into the contract price, ie "free installation".
 
Does anybody have any updates on fibre availability timelines for Equestria? One of the contractors told me beginning of 2017..

Having endless issues with my adsl line currently.. Telkom guys have been out several times, but cannot fix the problem. Have decided to just give up on that and get fibre installed as soon as possible.
 
Did anybody order Fibre through Afrihost/Openserve lately in Pretoria area ? Im still waiting for a phone call from Openserve.
 
Got a call for Equestria yesterday, being told that it'd be installed today. No installers have arrived yet. Yay for taking a day off of work for nothing. None of the contact numbers even work it seems.
 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X