South Africa’s largest telecommunications infrastructure provider, Openserve, confirmed it will double the speed of its fiber and copper network in March 2021. This speed upgrade will come at no extra cost to internet service providers (ISPs) who use Openserve’s Fibre Connect network.
Openserve, a division of Telkom, currently covers more than 2.4 million households in South Africa. The fibre network operator (FNO), which prides itself on extending internet connectivity beyond cities and into townships, is the preferred partner of most national ISPs, with prices of entry-level packages offered by providers favouring Openserve.
While end-user prices are ultimately determined by the ISP, Openserve’s inexpensive fibre line rentals – particularly with uncapped 10Mbps and 20Mbps packages, which cost providers around R410 per month – makes highspeed broadband more accessible.
But from 1 March 2021, as part of its broadband portfolio enhancement strategy, Openserve Fibre Connect (OFC) packages will start at 25Mbps symmetrical (holding the same upload and download speeds). These speed upgrades will not increase the OFC price.
Lower-end packages such as the existing 10Mbps fibre service will be upgraded to 25Mbps whilst remaining at the 10Mbps price, whereas existing 1Mbps and 2Mbps copper services will be upgraded to 5Mbps at the current 2Mbps price.
The fastest OFC and OCC packages will also carry reduced prices – with 200Mbps fibre lines now charged at the current price of 100Mbps connections, while 40Mbps copper connections will be charged at the 20Mbps rate.
These speed upgrades and incentives coincide with Openserve’s expansion plans through the Openserve Connect App which was launched in November 2020. The app allows existing customers to track their line speeds and provide feedback on their connectivity. Additionally, the app is aimed at potential customers who can request installations, track coverage, and stay up to date with Openserve’s area-based rollout plans.