Vumatel, the telecommunications start-up building a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network in the upmarket Johannesburg suburb of Parkhurst, has unveiled plans to build similar networks in 42 suburbs across Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The decision to expand the roll-out follows what Vumatel describes as the success of its Parkhurst project, which has “generated huge interest from homeowners’ associations, communities and residents across South Africa. The Parkhurst project is in the process of being rolled out, with the first homes receiving fibre access by the last week of October.
Vumatel says it will roll out its FTTH services, offering speeds of up to 1Gbit/s, to other suburbs based on the level of demand from those communities.
Areas in Johannesburg identified by Vumatel for the roll-out of FTTH include: Atholl, Beverley, Blairgowrie, Douglasdale, Emmarentia, Forest Town, Fourways, Gallo Manor, Greenside, Houghton Estate, Hurlingham & Hurlingham Manor, Hyde Park, Illovo, Inanda & Chislehurston, Killarney & Riviera, Linden, Lonehill, Melrose & Birdhaven, Melville, Parkhurst, Parkmore, Parktown, Parktown North, Parkwood, Pine Slopes, River Club, Sandhurst, Saxonwold, Upper Houghton, Victory Park and Westcliff.
The suburbs in Cape Town that have been identified are: Bishopscourt, Camps Bay & Bakoven, Constantia, Fresnaye, Gardens, Mouille Point, Newlands, Oranjezicht, Sea Point, Tamboerskloof and Vredehoek.
“Neighbourhoods that express the most interest will receive fibre first,” says Vumatel CEO Niel Schoeman. “Once a certain target is reached, we will know that there is sufficient interest in an area to support the initiative. Residents can also check how they are doing against other neighbourhoods, creating a healthy bit of competition.”
Those wanting FTTH can use Vumatel’s website to voice their interest, according to Schoeman. “The portal allows you to see if you are located in one of Vumatel’s planned fibrehoods. If you are, you can express interest by filling in a quick survey,” he says.
“Our solution is to work with communities to turn their suburbs into high-speed open-access ‘fibrehoods’. The Parkhurst project is progressing well, with Internet service providers coming to the party with some attractive offerings. It’s a very exciting time, and we want to share this opportunity with a wider audience,” says Schoeman. — (c) 2014 NewsCentral Media