The South African government’s goal of a broadband penetration rate of 100% across the country may become a reality but not on fibre optic and fixed wireless alone. According to the Department of Communications, satellite technology will play a crucial role in the national broadband project, as traditional terrestrial networks cannot cover remote regions and rural communities.
Norman Munzhelele, the General Manager of the department, said that satellite communications can be used to increase the present 30% nationwide coverage to 75%, although speeds will be limited using the said technology, and installation may be more costly.
Still, experts agree that satellite services are far more cost-effective as a broadband solution to huge tracts of rural regions. The CEO of Avanti Communications agree that telecom operators will find it uneconomical to lay down fibre networks in remote regions with few population compared to urban areas. Mobile operators in Africa, however, are still hurdling the challenge of remote connectivity that is integrated with national networks.
No comments:
Post a Comment