Vox has signed a deal with local telecom provider Comsol to supply communications services to people in remote and rural parts of SA.
The move underscores Vox’s continued effort to win market share outside the country’s main cities and towns.
Across the world, and most notably in Africa, rural and remote areas have tended to have low network coverage levels as telecom operators have avoided investing because of the expense involved. Providers would rather invest in towns and cities with big populations who are major consumers of communications services.
On Tuesday, Vox said it has partnered with Comsol to create “bespoke connectivity solutions” for SA organisations, geared towards companies operating in remote and rural areas.
“Comsol has wide coverage alongside Vox’s exceptional reach – combined, the companies ensure organisations across the country have access to exceptional service regardless of location or size,” Vox said.
In essence, the two operators will use whatever technology they can to service customers in their specific environment, using options like mobile, fibre and satellite.
As Comsol puts it: the connectivity platforms “are designed to leverage existing infrastructure while meeting specific business requirements”.
“It is a custom-built network that is developed around the customer’s specific needs and that aligns with their budget expectations. Whether it is a high-end guest house in the desert that wants a solution that provides connectivity to its clientele, or a military training centre in the Kalahari dunes, there is a solution that will fit the customer’s needs.”
Vox, which delisted from the JSE in 2011, has been investing much of its resources in recent years to connect people in outlying parts of SA. In addition to existing satellite services, the company has focused its fibre rollout in secondary towns in recent years.
Comsol is backed by Convergence Partners, Nedbank Private Equity and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) as investment partners.
Danny Ossher, key account manager for private networks at Comsol, said the company had developed a number of solutions for local organisations and situations.
“An array that allows for underground communications to a radius of 15km; a private network that provides large connectivity capacity to a mining organisation; a communication infrastructure for a manufacturing installation that spans vehicles, operations and employees; and a connectivity platform servicing an entire community.
“Solar farms, mines, manufacturers, petrochemical organisations, agricultural companies and even remote universities are often underserved when it comes to connectivity solutions,” said Theo van Zyl, head of wireless at Vox.
“This partnership ensures they gain access to reliable connectivity that’s cost-effective and accessible. For example, a university with 1,000 students using one of our bespoke solutions will pay as little as R6 a student for high-level connectivity services.”
In April, the company said it was extending its satellite offering in SA, announcing a partnership with Q-KON to deliver various satellite solutions to enterprise customers from Eutelsat OneWeb.
Two months earlier, in February, Frogfoot — the open-access infrastructure unit of Vox — said it had acquired the fibre assets of American Tower Africa, a provider of wireless and fibre infrastructure in SA, for an undisclosed sum.
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