MTN expands its FTTH network to the Western Cape

MTN has expanded its fibre to the home (FTTH) footprint to the Western Cape, and trenching has already commenced in the picturesque suburbs of Fresnaye and Bakoven as the operator prepares to connect approximately 1 000 homes with this high speed network before the end of the year.

The rollout of this high speed fibre network by MTN to the residents of Fresnaye and Bakoven follows a successful deployment of FTTH to a number of suburbs around Johannesburg including at the eco-estate of Monaghan Farm, Lonehill, Parkmore and surrounding suburbs.

MTN has already commenced the civil works in preparation for the rollout of an open access network.

MTN expects to connect about 561 homes in Fresnaye and 373 homes in Bakoven with FTTH before the end of the year. The project commenced on June 18 and July 1 for both Bakoven and Fresnaye respectively.

The topography of the area, which mostly comprises of hard rock, poses challenges for the civil works which approximate 17km for Fresnaye and 8.8km for Bakoven. Despite the challenges posed by the rocky terrain, about 4km and 3.8km of trenching has been completed in both Fresnaye and Bakoven respectively.

The completion of this project in the fourth quarter of this year will mark a historic milestone for MTN's FTTH footprint as it will represent the operator's first FTTH network outside of Gauteng.

This high speed network which is capable of delivering speeds of up to 100 Mbps will provide residents of Fresnaye and Bakoven with multiple benefits including the ability to stream high-definition videos and music, play online games, stream movies using a superfast network.

Alpheus Mangale, Chief Enterprise Officer for MTN Business SA, says the expansion of the fibre network to Fresnaye and Bakoven is in line with MTN's strategy of deploying high performance networks to its customers and offering subscribers with a distinct customer experience.

"The availability of a world-class network has been the missing piece of the puzzle in this area, an absent link that will now catapult this neighbourhood to a new level and transform it into a digital hub. We are excited to bring this ultra-fast network to the residents of Fresnaye and Bakoven. Many of the residents here are well-travelled people who have experienced first-hand the benefits of high performance networks.

He says this supersonic network will enable the residents and businesses to fully enjoy and realise the digital experience.

"FTTH will greatly improve the neighbourhood appeal as it will transform it into a digital hub where security is significantly enhanced through the integration of CCTVs and the added functionality of home automation and remote surveillance," says Mangale.

MTN will roll out an open access network which it will provide at its own cost and will maintain during its lifespan. MTN will also set up a dedicated 24-hour FTTH centre to provide support services to its customers.

Mangale says the key advantage of an open access network is that residents will have multiple options in terms of the service providers they can utilise.

"This open access network provides customers with a flexible platform that will allow any independent internet service provider (ISP) with a valid electronic communications services licence, and which has signed an agreement with MTN, to integrate the services they provide to end-users. This, in turn, will enable a range of service providers to provide their customers with connectivity services via the MTN network," Mangale adds.

"Our pricing is very competitive and includes bundled packages which are not inclusive of installation fees on certain packages."