Fibre network officially launches

Congrats to the guys at DFA :D

And here's to seeing the benefits soon!

Now, if only I could get my hands on R1,5 billion I would build my own fibre network...
 
Dark fibre in Dark Africa...how fitting.
 
Sweet! I love these guys! Roll on the fibre :D

Next stop Mtunzini to Joburg! ;)
 
Does it anyone know if these guys (Dark Fibre) have licence to provide electronic communications network services?
 
Does it anyone know if these guys (Dark Fibre) have licence to provide electronic communications network services?
Click to expand...

AFAIK you need an ECNS before you can lay a network... so that would be a yes, they do have ;)
 
frankluke said:
Does it anyone know if these guys (Dark Fibre) have licence to provide electronic communications network services?
Click to expand...
I don’t think they have or need a license - they are an infrastructure provider, not a network services provider. The guys who will lease infrastructure from DFA will need an ECNS/ECS license to provide network services…
 
frankluke said:
Infraco owns a network but does not have a licence...
Click to expand...

Oh, but they do... you see the late minister of communications invited them to apply for I-ECNS and IECS last year...
 
Last edited:
rpm said:
I don’t think they have or need a license - they are an infrastructure provider, not a network services provider. The guys who will lease infrastructure from DFA will need an ECNS/ECS license to provide network services…
Click to expand...


they provide electronic communications network services, check the meaning of an electronic communications network services in the E C Act.
 
Last edited:
Brilliant news. I hope mobile operators cancel parts of their contractual obligations with Telkom in these metro areas and go with DFA.

Really some good news which should help out as expansion continues.
 
frankluke said:
that was after they owned the infrastructure.
Click to expand...

I don't know when Infraco was formed but if I remember correctly it was actually Eskom's infrastructure (state-owned) before being handed over to Infraco.

Besides the new ECA (ie. ECNS/ECS) only came to be recently... and I'm pretty sure the infrastructure Infraco owns is way older than that.
 
R 1875 per meter. ( is that right R1.5 B / 800 000 meter ) sounds high ! I am sure that I previously saw the cost of R500 per meter

I looked at the Cape town map but cant see if the fiber goes to the landing station at Milnerton !
 
voipnow said:
R 1875 per meter. ( is that right R1.5 B / 800 000 meter ) sounds high ! I am sure that I previously saw the cost of R500 per meter

I looked at the Cape town map but cant see if the fiber goes to the landing station at Milnerton !
Click to expand...

I don't think it meant to and the landing station is in Melkbosstrand techincally.
But the point being that the current DFA setup is meant for metro-rings initially.
They're not competing on a national scale as a service provider such as Neotel or Telkom.

They are just filling in the gaps - which to me is a good thing as the less interconnectivity that is dependent on Telkom - the better I say.
 
Shake&Bake said:
But the point being that the current DFA setup is meant for metro-rings initially.
They're not competing on a national scale as a service provider such as Neotel or Telkom.
Click to expand...
While most of their activity in in the metro areas, they do have their sights set on long-haul as well.

Was at their launch yesterday, where if I remember correctly, they reconed they would have JHB-DBN up by mid next year.
 
Roman4604 said:
While most of their activity in in the metro areas, they do have their sights set on long-haul as well.

Was at their launch yesterday, where if I remember correctly, they reconed they would have JHB-DBN up by mid next year.
Click to expand...

That's a real plus to hear!
Just wonder if that's a good thing considering that MTN/VC and Neotel are already taking that route.
But then again in the long run it's a good move for DFA, as hopefully there will be more competition in the future and those ducts would just be waiting for competition.
Also could you just imagine what savings there could be for corporates wanting to interconnect their national offices by means of DFA?
It could be revolutionary if redundancy could be sorted.
It's a great concept and something this country will stand to benefit from in the years to come.

Big props to Richard Came, DFA and Cisco Systems on this endeavour.
 
bawrak said:
AFAIK you need an ECNS before you can lay a network... so that would be a yes, they do have ;)
Click to expand...

nope

rpm said:
I don’t think they have or need a license - they are an infrastructure provider, not a network services provider. The guys who will lease infrastructure from DFA will need an ECNS/ECS license to provide network services…
Click to expand...

yip

bawrak said:
Oh, but they do... you see the late minister of communications invited them to apply for I-ECNS and IECS last year...
Click to expand...

i.e. they will get an IECS and IECNS in August or thereabouts

frankluke said:
they provide electronic communications network services, check the meaning of an electronic communications network services in the E C Act.
Click to expand...

nope. you don't need the licence to put passive network elements in but you do need it to make packets dance across the network.

they will no doubt be considering getting an IECNS so they can provide managed fibre services
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X