DFA wires up Mthatha

Dark Fibre Africa (DFA), which has deployed more than 6 500 kilometres of optic fibre cable across South Africa is investing nearly R10-million to bring high-speed data to Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.

DFA’s optic fibre network is expanding to smaller cities and towns at a rapid pace, enabling Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to offer their services to new markets. It will bring the Mthatha district into the digital age: the socio economic benefits of fibre optic networks are vast, as affordable broadband contributes to increased economic activity.

The company’s CEO, Gustav Smit, says DFA’s network is the fastest-growing open-access optical fibre infrastructure in the country.

DFA’s footprint extends nationally and links with the SEACOM, EASSy, SAFE and the SAT3 cables at Mtunzini in KwaZulu Natal and links to the WACS cable at Yzerfontein and the SAT 3 cable at Melkbosstrand in the Western Cape.

The deployment of metro and long haul open access ducting, optimised for fibre network deployment, will enable larger users of communication capacity to enjoy logical separation and ownership of communications capacity, while sharing the same physical right of way and access routes with other carriers.

‚”South Africans simply don’t know what 20Mbps or 100Mbps to the home means. ‚”An opportunity needs to be created for users to test drive serious broadband and ISPs need to play a leading role in mobilising communities,‚” he concludes.

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