Neotel teams with Jasco to boost fibre network

·30 Jan 2013

Neotel has appointed JSE-listed ICT services company, Jasco Carrier to install core-to-edge fibre services and products to improve the overall efficiency of the network.

In the deal, Jasco will be offering services and a number of products from ADVA Optical Networking, which will improve the efficiency of Neotel’s network, the ICT company said in a statement.

Jasco will plan, design, implement and maintain a number of these services on Neotel’s R2-billion, 5,000 kilometre fibre network that Neotel is building in partnership with MTN and Vodacom.

ADVA Optical Networking is a telecommunications vendor that provides network equipment for data, storage, voice and video services.

The ADVA-enabled national and metro networks will support Neotel’s ongoing deployment of fibre to the curb.

“This means we don’t have to wait for local loop unbundling to bring the immense throughput of fibre optic networks to both large and small enterprises in South Africa,” Neotel said.

Jasco will also provide high-level support for the services, the laying of which is estimated to be worth €7 million (R85.26 million), spent over a two to three year period.

“Together, these solutions facilitate a complete next generation national long distance network to enable Neotel to deliver high speed telecommunications and Internet services to the South African market,” Jasco said.

According to Jasco, the ADVA service rollout began in October 2011 already, and is an ongoing project which will keep pace with implementation of the fibre network.

“Construction on the national long distance network began in late 2009 and the first routes from Johannesburg to Durban have been completed. The second set of routes linking Johannesburg to Cape Town are well underway,” it said.

In early morning trade on the JSE, Jasco’s shares were trading off 10c, down 5.88%, to R1.60, putting its market cap at R234.2-million.