Rumours abound that Africa’s largest mobile operator, MTN is set to buy internet service provider (ISP) Afrihost.<\/p>\n
Afrihost already has links with MTN, having joined the operator’s network in 2012.<\/p>\n
The financial details of the deal are unclear at this stage, while neither Afrihost nor MTN could be contacted for comment.<\/p>\n
Several sources, however, suggested that a deal between the two companies has been struck.<\/p>\n
The SA market is undergoing a period of consolidation, with Vodacom set to purchase Neotel, for R7 billion, while Telkom and MTN also recently signed an agreement to use each other\u2019s mobile networks.<\/p>\n
Last month, Telkom also announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire listed ICT group, Business Connexion (BCX) in a R2.7 billion cash offer funded from its own cash resources.<\/p>\n
MTN was due to launch a 100Mbps fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services in South Africa on Sunday (1 June 2014).<\/p>\n
The operator first announced its intentions to launch the service in April, following successful FTTH trials conducted with residents of Monaghan Farm, a gated estate located 30km north of Johannesburg.<\/p>\n
\u201cMTN is currently rolling out aggressive deployment to high-density urban areas, such as high-end gated communities, boomed-off suburbs and high-rise buildings,\u201d MTN said in its statement last month.<\/p>\n
The operators said that advanced discussions were underway with several other residential sites.<\/p>\n
MTN pointed out that its FTTH roll-out is a demand-driven, and an extension of its already expanding fibre connectivity backbone, utilising Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) technology, to business parks and residential estates in all major cities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are massively excited by the momentum that our pre-launch has already created,\u201d Eben Albertyn, chief technology officer of MTN SA said in April.<\/p>\n
According to MTN, the estimated connectivity date for homes in the Monaghan Farm estate is mid-May, with in excess of 60% of the residents having signed up. Offers vary based on desired Internet speed, ranging from 10 to 100 Mbps.<\/p>\n
MTN silent on fibre-to-the-home launch<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n MTN fibre-to-the-home product launch date<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n