Telkom is stepping up plans to remove copper from its network and will no longer offer copper-based digital subscriber line (DSL) services in areas where it has deployed fibre.
The company said on Wednesday that the migration from DSL to fibre to the home applies to all customers living in fibre-ready regions where the DSL infrastructure overlaps with the fibre footprint.
“Telkom notes that fibre promises a significant improvement in users’ connectivity experience and assures customers that they will receive the support that they need to undergo the upgrade with minimal stress and disruption,” it said in a statement.
It added that fibre is much less prone to downtime because it’s not at risk of cable theft, a problem that “plagues” DSL users.
The company said users shouldn’t “panic” about a sudden “cut-off” of copper services. “Telkom agents are contacting customers directly to inform them regarding what to expect from the upgrade, and when.
“Customers can rest assured that Telkom won’t leave them in the lurch. While the move away from copper-based Internet is compulsory, we are here to work with customers to find an alternative connectivity solution that best suits their needs.”
Installation fee waived
Telkom said the switch from copper to fibre is being done to “optimise the user experience and reduce the cost of maintenance”.
“Therefore, although it will follow a gradual progression, the overall strategic objective is to decommission and replace old copper technology with fibre entirely,” said Steven White, executive for product development & management. He said all those affected will have the cost of installation waived. — © 2020 NewsCentral Media
