Broadband Infraco (BBI) and Huawei have launched an upgraded intelligent backbone network aimed at bringing high-capacity, affordable broadband to millions of South Africans.
“We are bridging the digital divide on two fronts – closing the digital inequality gap at home, and narrowing the gap between South Africa and the world’s most industrialised nations,”says Gift Zowa, CEO of BBI. “We are addressing one of SA Connect’s primary goals, the DCDT’s flagship broadband connectivity project, to make connectivity inclusive and bring stable, high-capacity broadband to all South African communities and government facilities by 2030.”
To date, through the execution of its national connectivity projects, BBI has connected over 3 000 public Wi-Fi hotspots and more than 50 000 homes in underserved and rural areas nationwide.
BBI’s macroeconomic impact study provides insight into broadband’s effects on economic growth. Quoting the study, BBI chairperson Zandile Kabini says every 1% increase in broadband penetration adds nearly R5-billion to South Africa’s GDP.
“The numbers may be from yesterday, but their truth belongs to tomorrow: when you extend access, you extend growth,” Kabini says. “And when you bridge the digital divide you build an inclusive society. When our country’s intelligent backbone does its quiet work – unseen, unsung – it carries more than data. It carries hope. It carries opportunity. It carries people’s most intimate needs: to learn, to work, to trade, to care, to connect.”
BBI has utilised Huawei’s next-generation Optical Cross-Connect (OXC) technology to deliver 800G wavelengths across its network – a leap that will enable massive volumes of data to be transferred between cities or data centres in realtime, supporting the country’s growing digital economy. It is the first 800G intelligent optical backbone network deployed by the government sector, positioning South Africa as a leader of digital backbone innovation.
The network will also support South Africa’s new BBI fibre route which connects Johannesburg to the Kopfontein border, thereby strengthening high-speed cross-border connectivity across the SADC region. The backbone spans all nine provinces and extends to the borders with Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe and providing broad regional access.