Johannesburg - The R1.2 billion Gauteng Broadband Network roll-out by Altech Alcom Matomo has reached a key milestone with fibre broadband connectivity to all eight vital core nodes, Altron TMT said.
Altron TMT is a subsidiary of JSE-listed Altron and was previously known as Altech before Altron paid R1.8 billion to buys out Altech minorities in a 2013 deal. This acquisition was followed by Altron streamlining its operation and bundling parts of Altech and Bytes Technology together.
Last February, it said it had won a five-year R1.2 billion deal to roll out a network across Gauteng for the provincial government.
On Monday, Altron TMT said it had now connected all eight vital node cores, which are: 75 Fox Street, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, 82 Grayston Drive, Steve Biko Academic Hospital, Imbuba House, Teraco, Telkom Data Centre and Sedibeng District Municipal head office.
The roll-out forms part of the broader digital strategy of the Gauteng Provincial Government as the eight core nodes will connect various network touchpoints that will begin servicing government buildings and community centres.
The network will provide a 10 gigabytes per second core network for connectivity and will introduce upgradable high-speed fibre-optic transmission speeds for Gauteng provincial buildings, schools and community centres to access the network.
Altron TMT notes the accelerated connectivity will allow the provincial government to implement its smart provincial initiatives and facilitate ancillary projects such as telemedicine, e-learning, e-government and e-health, among others.
By the end of 2015, Altech Alcom Matomo will have connected 263 access sites across Gauteng, including all provincial department buildings and several townships. In addition, 24 community centres including sites at Soweto, Tembisa, Alexandra, Dieplsoot, Kagiso, Vosloorus, Sebokeng, Mamelodi and Hammanskraal will be connected, together with 100 schools.
Altech Alcom Matomo MD Brett Nash says the province-wide network consists of 4 500km of transmission fibre and 80km of last mile fibre network running throughout Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Sedibeng and the West Rand.
Nash adds the network will also allow the Gauteng Provincial Government to save R162 million each year on connectivity costs.
The project will be built and operated by the Altron TMT unit before being handed over to the Gauteng government on completion, which is set for about three-and-a-half years from now.
In total, the network will offer broadband fibre internet access to the province’s 316 government-owned buildings, 45 Thusong centres, nine economic development zones (malls, business hubs and such) and 20 priority townships among other access points. It will provide connectivity to 95% of the province’s residents.
The provincial government has said the public would be able to access free internet from these points.
The project replaces Gauteng Online, a controversial tender to get schools online which was scrapped a few years ago in favour of a province-wide network.
IOL