CIO OPINION
the influx of demand does not make it a
viable option either.
One of the challenges mobile operators face
is high contention rates. This means that the
more users are on their networks, the slower
access becomes. We have seen LTE users
experience a speed decrease from 20Mbps
to just 0.6Mbps when people started
flooding video streaming sites rendering
them virtually unusable. And beyond zero
rating data to limited educational resources,
the mobile providers have given little by way
of a fresh value proposition to consumers
during this difficult time. The recent price
reduction was long overdue and is still not
close to rates offered by the fibre operators.
For their part, many fibre operators have
provided consumers with upgrades that
automatically doubled their line speeds, free
installations, increased capped products by
as much as three times. This faster access
is essential given how consumer usage
patterns have now changed from download
only to needing to upload data as well.
These changes have seen application
marketplaces experience a significant
“
ONE OF FIBRE’S
STRENGTHS IS
ITS SCALABILITY
AND CAPACITY –
IT IS VIRTUALLY
UNLIMITED. THIS
MEANS USERS’
LINE SPEEDS CAN
BE UPGRADED IN
REAL-TIME WITH
NO DISRUPTION.
shift in focus. During the week of March
14 to 21, business apps topped 62 million
downloads globally, an increase of 45%
over the previous week. Furthermore,
Google has made the premium features
of its Hangouts Meet application available
for free and Microsoft is offering a free sixmonth
subscription to Microsoft Teams, to
name just two examples of how changing
consumer behaviour is changing the market
dynamics of connectivity solutions.
One of fibre’s strengths is its scalability
and capacity – it is virtually unlimited. This
means users’ line speeds can be upgraded
in real-time with no disruption. And because
it provides a smooth transition to the cloud,
fibre also enables companies to automate
many administrative-intensive processes
thereby freeing up users to deliver more
strategic value to the business.
Embrace the new
It is now an opportune time to look at
embracing new ways of working and
engaging with one another.
Take schools and institutions of higher
learning for example. The situation has
forced them to start working on distance
learning options. If learners cannot return to
school, e-learning becomes essential to help
them keep up with work. This highlights the
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