Nokia announced that Fibertime will deploy its fiber optic solution to rapidly expand broadband access in underserved areas of South Africa. Fibertime will utilize Nokia’s Lightspan FX optical line terminals (OLTs) and Wi Fi 6 supported optical network terminals (ONTs) to quickly connect the next 1.5 million customers. Nokia’s technology is the key to achieving Fibertime’s flagship product: 5 pounds a day, unlimited Internet.
Currently, less than 85% of South Africans have access to high-speed broadband, and many rely on expensive mobile packages that cost 70 times more per gigabit than fiber optic. Through Nokia’s fiber optic solutions, Fibertime will usher in a new wave of affordable, reliable, and pay as you go broadband, providing more education, employment, and business opportunities for local communities. Deployment will help establish semi mobile networks in underserved areas, allowing end-users to access high-speed broadband services from anywhere in the community, not just their homes or businesses.
Fiber optic deployment will first cover Cape Town, Johannesburg, Geberja, Mangang, and Stellenbosch, and plans to rapidly expand to other countries and communities. As part of the agreement, Fibertime will deploy 500000 ONTs supporting Nokia Wi Fi 6 over the next 36 months, prioritizing households in underserved areas. Fibertime will also utilize Nokia’s ONT Easystart to automate and simplify the ONT activation process, helping to streamline deployment. Fibertime is also undergoing an advanced network upgrade supported by the Nokia Altiplano platform to further drive automation and scalability. Nokia and Fibertime are still conducting new research and development projects to develop technologies that enhance connectivity and enable operations in the most remote areas of Africa.
Nokia’s fiber optic solutions are uniquely positioned to help Fibertime reach millions of users who require high-speed broadband to provide basic services such as online education and remote healthcare, “said Sandy Motley, President of Nokia Fixed Networks.” Our scalable OLT portfolio provides flexible coverage for densely populated and rural areas. Together with our support for Wi Fi 6 ONTs, we can achieve fast, automated onboarding. In short, these solutions enable Fibertime to accelerate deployment and provide the ability to simultaneously bring thousands of customers online.”
Alan Knott Craig, the founder of Fibertime, said: “With Nokia’s support, we are confident that we will cover 1.5 million households in the next five years. We are opening a huge and undeveloped market, with 13 million households in South Africa ready to use the Internet with reasonable prices and good quality. In the next ten years, the market will require about R60 billion of investment, and will bring reliable returns to investors. This market opportunity is similar to that faced by mobile operators when they enter the prepaid market. Together with Nokia, we can bridge the digital divide, accelerate growth, and create lasting social and economic impact in South Africa.”