Frogfoot Networks, a licensed open access fibre network provider, has become the first operator to rollout fibre to the home (FTTH) infrastructure in Franschhoek in the Western Cape, bringing the region’s wine estates, businesses and homes access to fast, reliable and affordable broadband connectivity.
“This area has not been covered up until this point, and there are many wine farms, residential estates, bed and breakfast accommodation, companies, and homes that stand to benefit tremendously from this new development. Broadband connectivity will help to drive business, tourism and further growth in the Franschhoek Valley,” says Shane Chorley, head of sales at Frogfoot.
Certain sections of the network will go live in the first quarter of 2020. Being an open access provider, customers stand to benefit from more choice and better service; with over 60 internet service providers (ISPs) operating on Frogfoot Networks, customers have numerous options when it comes to line speeds, whether they have a capped or uncapped account, data package sizes, and more.
High speed, reliable connectivity, like that offered by fibre, is shifting traditional content consumption habits. Businesses are increasingly making use of cloud-based tools and applications to reduce costs, increase productivity and even provide new services. Content creators are downloading and uploading large volumes of data daily.
Modern households are consuming video-on-demand services such as Netflix and Showmax (increasingly in Full HD or even 4K), subscribing to YouTube channels, and using the internet on a daily basis whether it is to stay up to date with the latest news, connect with family and friends, or to help with homework.
Chorley adds that any schools that fall under Frogfoot’s FTTH coverage area can apply for a fibre link to the school as part of the company’s schools promotion campaign. “This will give the schools access to a free FTTH connection of up to 1Gbps with their preferred internet service provider,” he says.