Vodacom looked set on a collision course with its former shareholder, fixed-line operator Telkom, on Tuesday as it officially launched its high-speed fibre network aimed at business customers.
Providing fixed-line services to corporate customers is an area that Telkom, which disposed of its 50% stake in Vodacom in 2009, has long dominated.
Vodacom Business plans to offer the metro Ethernet fibre-based network, which it calls Metro E, to businesses in SA’s main metropolitan areas. The launch follows several years of investment by Vodacom and its partner, Dark Fibre Africa, in infrastructure.
The fibre network offers access speeds of between 2Mbit/s to 1Gbit/s and has been laid along routes that will serve large businesses, meaning many companies are just 50-100m from a fibre termination point.
Ermano Quartero, managing executive of products and services at Vodacom Business, says the network will allow companies to connect their branch offices and access the Internet. The service is available in Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban. — Staff reporter, TechCentral
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