SA needs to maximise fibre optic use

June 3, 2011 12:31 pm 0 comments

Share this Article

Author:

The growth of traffic on optics networks will contribute to an increase in demand for high-bandwidth products, says Convergence Partners.

According to founder and chairman of the company, the growth of the networks will drive  bandwidth growth and in turn contribute to the growing demand for bandwidth consuming content, like HD and 3D video, social networking, music, video conferencing and other multimedia.

Speaking at a seminar hosted by Datanet Infrastructure Group in conjunction with the international Fibre Optic Association (FOA) and Triple Play Fibre Optic Solutions, Ngcaba said connectivity in communications is becoming paramount and the economics are going to change as connectivity increases.

“Content and applications will be king and high-speed fibre optics will create an environment very different from that existing today. We are seeing a new world of multimedia emerge - a world filled with many more screens and content,” Ngcaba explained.

To demonstrate the scale of expected change, he said that by 2016, over 900-million mobile phones will be operational in Africa. According Datanet, SA rates 23rd in the world in terms of tweeting volumes and 28th in the world on Facebook.

Cape Town is the top local city for tweeting volumes, followed by Johannesburg, followed by East London.

He added that while African operators are continuing to build new backhaul routes to submarine cable landing points to deliver greater bandwidth to cities and towns inland from the coast, the benefit is not yet being seen in the home.

“Long haul FO links need to be taken to the centres of major cities and towns and then deployed to the ‘last mile’ so that homes can be connected. To achieve this we must continue to engage with the relevant authorities through the formal channels available in order to ensure we maximise the deployment and uptake of FO,” he said.

Talkback - Tell Us What You Think


Other News

  • Featured Internet

    DTI welcomes online gambling ruling

    The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has welcomed a ruling by local courts upholding the illegality of online gambling.

    This follows a drawn out battle between government and Piggs Peak Casino, which saw the casino shut access to South African based gamblers.

    “The activities of Piggs Peak to offer South Africans access to online gambling in flagrant disregard of the laws of the country could be construed as a transgression of South Africa’s gambling legislative prescripts,” says the DTI.

    Under the current legislation, any person found guilty of online or interactive gambling may be sentenced to a prison term of 10 years or a fine not exceeding R10 million or both.

    “The decision of the Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa to dismiss the appeal by the Casino Enterprises, Swaziland, trading as Piggs Peak is an affirmation of the country’s stringent laws on regulating gambling and ensuring that South Africans are protected from the vagrancies of illegal gambling activities offered to them,” the DTI explains.

    Read more →
  • Mobile

    8ta airtime available through FNB

    Print PDF

    Archived; click post to view. Excerpt: 8·ta has entered into a collaboration with FNB that allows for 8·ta airtime to be purchased from the bank’s electronic channels including cellphone banking, online banking and FNB ATMs. SA’s fourth mobile operator continues to expand its distribution channels to provide convenience and greater reach to the country’s prepaid market. “8·ta continues to source accessible and convenient channels for its prepaid customers. We keep on exploring potential channels to make the buying [...]

    Read more →
  • Internet

    DiData rolls out e-learning to KZN schools

    Print PDF

    Archived; click post to view. Excerpt: Dimension Data has opened an e-learning centre at Dambuza, KwaZulu Natal – providing learners with access to technology applications. The Dambuza community skills centre - which was opened in partnership with Dimension Data and the Dambuza community development trust - will offer ICT training to young people as well as provide e-learning to selected schools in the area. The centre will benefit 350 learners to support the traditional curriculum for mathematics, physical [...]

    Read more →
  • Opinion

    How to innovate in an imperfect economy

    Print PDF

    Archived; click post to view. Excerpt: Today’s applications have to support increasingly complex business processes. Not surprisingly, applications are becoming more intricate and inter-connected.  In a survey conducted by Capgemini and commissioned by HP, an overwhelming majority (88%) of survey respondents agree that software systems have increased in complexity. Previously, organisations have been able to deal with increased workloads by adding resources to their quality management teams; but, with reduced IT spending, companies are looking at alternate ways [...]

    Read more →
  • Opinion

    Why Multisourcing Works

    Print PDF

    Archived; click post to view. Excerpt: Several years ago Gartner suggested that companies should change their traditional approach of outsourcing their information technology services and business processes to a single vendor and start thinking about the new world of multisourcing when more than one supplier is engaged. The concept raised a number of questions – who would manage competing vendors, how would finger-pointing be stopped when things go wrong and how do you get competitors to work together [...]

    Read more →
  • Opinion

    Three steps to better contact centre management

    Print PDF

    Archived; click post to view. Excerpt: Communication technologies have the power to dramatically shape company performance, and if the bottom line is shaky there’s little doubt the contact centre can make a positive contribution to turning things around.   But within this context, many decision makers get caught in the tactic trap – changing and re-changing various elements of the contact centre structure in the hope of better results. The hard reality is that you can change as many [...]

    Read more →
  • Mobile

    R1bn sent via FNB’s eWallet

    Print PDF

    Archived; click post to view. Excerpt: More than R1 billion has been sent via money transfer solution, eWallet, says FNB. Since the introduction of the solutions which allows FNB customers send money via cellphone banking, online banking and FNB ATMs - more than 700,000 eWallets have been created. CEO of eWallet Solutions, Yolande van Wyk, says that the growth of eWallet can be attributed to its ease of use and its convenience. “We are pleased with the growth [...]

    Read more →
  • Mobile

    Vodacom invests in local developers

    The Vodacom Apps store has reached 100 000 downloads in its first month, and the company is now launching a program to support local talent in applications development.

    Through the introduction of the Vodacom Developer Program, the mobile operator now aims to create an environment of collaboration and innovation amongst the local developer community.

    The program will launch in Johannesburg on 7 October 2011.

    Read more →
  • Featured Internet

    Live NPC Jam records 10 000 users

    The 72 hour NPC Jam recorded over 10 300 logins and over 8700 individual posts – making it the biggest online dialogue ever held in Africa, says the Presidency.

    Almost 10 000 South Africans registered for the live online discussion which ended on Saturday – with participants from each of the 52 municipal areas taking part in discussions ranging over 10 themes.

    “Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas in the largest-ever online dialogue in

    our country. You have made history. Your contributions will go a long way in helping the commission develop a vision and plan for our country. Rest assured that we will take each and every contribution seriously. I urge you to come back often to read all of the conversations in the Jam. It will remain available until the end of November,” said NPC chairperson, Trevor Manuel.

    Read more →
  • Opinion

    Pick me, pick me

    Print PDF

    Archived; click post to view. Excerpt: We have either seen the movie, or experienced the scenario ourselves.  Standing amongst a large group of friends, school mates or even at the community braai, we wait in anticipation for someone to pick us for their team.  Sadly, there are always a few kids that get left out, banished to the side-lines with the task of dispensing oranges at half time (never mind, if you do your research you will find [...]

    Read more →
  • « Previous Page  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12   Next Page »
Feedback

SA IT NEWS Feedback

We appreciate any and all feedback about our site; praise, ideas, bug reports you name it!

Engage in our latest issue of Saitnews Magazine titled Woman in IT Download Now