Network Overview

In addition to national connectivity, international connectivity is also a major cost component of broadband costs in South Africa. The Broadband Infraco strategy since inception has focused on reducing the cost of both of these key elements.

Phase I of our strategy was to deploy a National Long Distance fibre network, with International Marine Cable connectivity being designated as Phase II for rollout after completion of Phase I.

With deployment and switch-on of Phase I successfully achieved, Broadband Infraco launched the Phase II - International Marine Cable connectivity project, now known as the West Africa Cable System (WACS).

 

The WACS project will comprise of a 5.1 Tbit/s submarine cable to be deployed between South Africa and the United Kingdom with 14 landings on the west coast of Africa and Europe, terminating in London.

 

Broadband Infraco is a tier 1 investor in the WACS consortium along with a number of other private sector operators. The Construction and Maintenance Agreement and the Supply Contract have been signed by all investors on the 8 April 2009. The cable is expected to be in operation during the second half of 2011.

Through its National Long Distance network, Broadband Infraco will be able to provide its customers with connectivity between the East and West Coast Cable systems, allowing them to easily utilise capacity on more than one system and have full redundancy on their international links.