Workonline targets tougher backbone

Days after multiple fibre failures disrupted internet services across South Africa, wholesale internet network operator Workonline Communications announced a further expansion of its national network, with a focus on route diversity rather than simply adding bandwidth. The timing was significant: the outage exposed how vulnerable networks can become when multiple national long-distance fibre routes fail simultaneously, reinforcing a growing industry shift towards resilience as the defining measure of internet infrastructure.

The disruption affected national long-distance fibre routes linking major centres, causing connectivity problems for several internet service providers and businesses. While operators restored services by rerouting traffic, the incident highlighted the importance of designing networks that can continue operating even when multiple routes are unavailable.

Against that backdrop, Workonline said it had completed upgrades across its South African backbone, increasing available capacity while expanding the diversity of routes carrying traffic between Cape Town and Johannesburg. The company also strengthened its Eastern Cape presence by adding further resilience through routes out of East London and announced plans for an additional Point of Presence (PoP) in Cape Town.

The investment forms part of Workonline’s strategy to build a more resilient national network serving internet service providers, carriers, cloud platforms, content providers and mobile operators.

Workonline is what the industry calls an IP transit provider. Rather than selling internet access directly to homes and businesses, it supplies the high-capacity networks that internet service providers, mobile operators, cloud platforms and content providers use to carry traffic across South Africa and to international destinations.

“South Africa’s internet demand is growing strongly, and that is good news for the market,” said Benjamin Deveaux, head of business development for Workonline Communications Group. “But growth also brings responsibility. Customers need upstream providers that are investing ahead of demand, not only in capacity, but in the diversity and resilience of the routes that carry their traffic.”

The announcement reflects a broader shift in how South Africa’s internet infrastructure is evolving.

For years, backbone providers competed primarily on the amount of bandwidth they could deliver. That remains important, but the rapid growth of cloud computing, streaming services, AI applications and enterprise workloads has raised the cost of downtime. Customers increasingly expect networks to remain available even when critical fibre routes are cut.

That has elevated route diversity from a technical consideration to a strategic one. Rather than relying on a single high-capacity connection between cities, operators are building multiple physically separate paths that allow traffic to be rerouted automatically if one route fails.

Workonline said its national topology connects Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and East London through multiple diverse paths designed to maintain service continuity during network disruptions.

“Capacity is important, but resilience comes from design and a deep understanding of the ecosystem,” said Deveaux. “As traffic volumes increase, customers need more than a single large link. They need access to multiple routes and a network that has been engineered to perform under pressure.”

The company said its IP transit network supports 400Gbps interfaces and offers customers multiple route options across South Africa, supported by its broader African and international network.

The planned Cape Town PoP forms part of the next phase of Workonline’s national expansion, adding further local diversity in the Western Cape while supporting growing demand for resilient national and international connectivity.

For internet service providers, mobile operators, cloud platforms and content providers, upstream connectivity is becoming a strategic decision rather than simply a question of price.

“It is not simply about who can offer a port at the right price,” said Deveaux. “It is about whether that provider has invested deeply enough in the underlying network to support growth, resilience and continuity.”

While the announcement centres on Workonline’s own network, it reflects a broader shift across South Africa’s telecommunications sector. As internet traffic continues to grow and businesses become more dependent on cloud-based services, network operators are placing greater emphasis on route diversity alongside capacity.

“Internet demand in South Africa is not slowing down,” said Deveaux. “Our job is to keep building ahead of that demand, with a network that gives customers the capacity they need and the resilience they expect.”