Broadband connectivity and fixed internet solutions such as fibre enable South Africans to connect to people, businesses, and their communities. In the face of tough economic decisions, it is important we prioritise connectivity and leverage the full potential of available resources.

South Africa has come a long way in increasing internet access for its citizens. According to the 2022 South Africa Fibre Report by Analytico, Fibre Network Operators (FNOs) passed approximately 3.9 million homes with fibre.

 

"By rolling out more infrastructure in the form of fibre optic cables, Openserve is helping South Africans meet their daily digital needs. Fibre is the optimal connectivity solution and, by increasing access, we are helping to facilitate digital transformation and close the digital divide,"

Phila Dube

Openserve Chief Commercial Officer

 

The impact of broadband

Broadband infrastructure is an important enabler for economic and social development for all countries. It transforms how people live and work and is an ingredient for sustainable, long-term economic growth. Research has established a positive and significant link between broadband and GDP, and that the benefits of broadband connectivity only apply when a large percentage of the population is connected.

According to a 2020 study, between 2002 and 2017, a 10% increase in South Africa’s broadband penetration lead to a 0.27% increasein GDP per capita.

“Expanding networks and fibre footprints is highly consequential to South Africa’s future. Broadband connectivity opens the door to many possibilities, and connectivity is not only about increasing access. Internet providers are enabling home users to enjoy a digital lifestyle, be it watching shows on their favourite streaming service, interacting on social media platforms, or shopping online for groceries,” Dube explained.

Fibre allows enterprises to digitalise and invest in next-generation IT infrastructure, as well as cloud-based products and services. Looking more broadly, broadband networks enable essential sectors such as energy, education, healthcare, manufacturing, mining, and financial services to digitise, increasing their agility and ability to respond to market changes and expectations.

Fibre also enables hybrid and remote working, a trend that has grown in popularity in recent years. For a student that needs to attend a class virtually, or a high-powered executive that must access documents on cloud servers, fibre is a reliable and secure method of connectivity for all use cases.

Using fibre, businesses can emulate the physical workplace online with the same levels of security, productivity, and collaboration, all without employees having to be in the same location or paying exorbitant costs to make that possible.

“There is also an emphasis on reliability and trust. South Africans want to be assured that the service offering they are spending their money on is the best one the market has to offer. Through the provision of foundational technologies, Openserve provides home and business owners with a broadband experience that delivers total value. Connectivity should never come with compromises,” Dube added.

The benefits of Openserve fibre

Openserve’s fibre optic cable network offers customers several benefits both inherent to the technology and reflective of the quality-of-service Openserve offers. The advantages of Openserve fibre include:

• Speed and reliability: Openserve offers robust, uninterrupted service amid load shedding and power outages, and internet speeds that are subject to upgrades.
• Wide-scale fibre availability: With more than a million homes and businesses wired for access, Openserve operates one of South Africa’s biggest fibre networks.
• Scalability: User and business internet requirements change all the time. With Openserve fibre, FTTH and enterprise customers can scale their fibre packages according to the capacity they need at any given time.
• Choice of ISPs: Openserve is an open access fibre network. Customers can choose to connect to the internet through any ISP of their choice and compare packages between them. In 2024, the Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) rated Openserve as the most reliable network among ISPs, which illustrates the superior quality of our network.

Going above and beyond

In addition to maintaining its fibre infrastructure and expanding connectivity to underserviced areas, Openserve strives to transform vital sectors such as education.

An example of this effort is Openserve’s Schools FREE Fibre programme. The programme seeks to close the connectivity gap in South Africa’s education sector by connecting selected schools within the Openserve fibre footprint, enabling students and teachers to access quality educational resources, tools, and content.

“Fibre positively contributes towards creating an inclusive information society. With so much information and so many opportunities available via digital platforms and services, it is the bedrock on which we can educate, support local businesses, and uplift entire communities,” Dube concluded.