Fixed-line operator Telkom on Friday kicked off a six-week-long upgrade programme that will result in the speeds it offers to users of its broadband digital subscriber line (DSL) services being increased.

From Friday, customers with the company’s 1Mbit/s DSL service will have their line speeds automatically upgraded to 2Mbit/s. However, the speeds offered are the maximum possible after the upgrades. Line quality and other factors mean not all consumers’ lines will sync at the new, higher speed.

Telkom says the process of upgrading 1Mbit/s DSL users will take about six weeks.

Clients with 384kbit/s connections can expect their lines to be boosted to 1Mbit/s, though this upgrade will only commence in October, Telkom says. It will also take about six weeks for the process to be completed nationally.

“The speed upgrades enable Telkom Internet to effectively increase the value to entry level broadband customers. It also illustrates that the company is in a position to create new products and services that allow customers to run multiple bandwidth-hungry applications simultaneously, and at faster speeds,” the company says in a statement.

“The benefits of the speed upgrades are relevant to Telkom’s residential and business customers, specifically small to medium businesses that will be able to access a wider range of business utilities to boost their productivity.” — (c) 2012 NewsCentral Media