Integrated ICT and infrastructure provider Vox has announced its partnership with Netstream and SA Digital Villages as it works on broadening the reach and availability of its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) offerings.

In addition to using its own fibre infrastructure, through its Frogfoot subsidiary, partnering with other fibre network operators helps Vox to both speed up the pace at which it can get customers connected to reliable broadband internet, and to be able to expand network coverage beyond core urban areas such as Pietermaritzburg or Knysna.

“We want to position ourselves as the Internet service provider of choice for FTTH and the best way to do this is by extending our reach in the consumer market. Coupled with a 24/7/365 support desk, and having a presence in all major metropolitan areas enables us to service our customers more efficiently, aiding our expansion goals,” says Claire Williamson, senior product manager FTTH at Vox.

Fibre connectivity through SA Digital Villages is available in selected areas in Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State and the North West, while Netstream provides services in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Combined, they will provide access to 50 000 additional “live” homes, with around another 40 000 to go live over the course of 2019.

According to Williamson, having a footprint in new developments and areas, as well as an aggressive national roll-out strategy were some of the considerations when it came to choosing a fibre network operator as a partner.

Several new plans

“What is also important — due to the high demand for FTTH services — is that they have some level of automation, such as an online ordering portal or interface that will help us to effectively manage and deliver the service to our customers. These are some of the things that both these players were able to provide us with,” adds Williamson.

There are several new plans for customers who will use infrastructure from Netstream or SA Digital Villages, with speeds ranging from 4Mbit/s to 100Mbit/s. All plans are uncapped and come with a free-to-use Wi-Fi enabled router. The plans available are as follows:

There is an installation fee. For Netstream, it is R1 725 including VAT, and for SA Digital Villages it is either R999 or R1 725 depending on the user’s dwelling type.

Customers wanting to sign up can do a network coverage check on the Vox website, as well as place their order directly from there. Alternatively they can contact the Vox call centre on 087 805 0003.