Broadlink, a subsidiary of WBS Holdings, the company recently acquired by Multisource — the firm backed by former top bankers Michael Jordaan and Paul Harris — has announced a big national expansion of its network, building new wireless high sites and offering fixed fibre services for the first time.

The company is expanding its infrastructure into many of South Africa’s smaller centres. It has recently extended its radio network to Potchefstroom, Bloemfontein, Kimberly, Middelburg, Witbank, Nelspruit, Polokwane, Richards Bay, East London, Port Elizabeth, Paarl, Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Strand.

For the first time, the company is also launching a last-mile fibre access network, which it said will eventually offer national coverage.

The company, who is best known for its provision of wireless and satellite connectivity, said that adding fibre was a natural extension of its services, and in response to a growing demand in the business market for fibre-based Internet access.

CEO Mike Brown said in a statement that it makes sense for Broadlink to diversify into fibre as it already makes use of 8 000km of fibre for its microwave high sites and backhaul requirements.

“With this footprint, and the fact that Broadlink reaches over 3 000 businesses, it made sense to offer customers access to both fibre and microwave,” Brown said.

The company said it has partnered with a number of fibre providers of metro and long-haul telecommunications traffic to provide access.