INDUSTRY FOCUS PAGE
53 can rapidly turn into a white elephant. For these reasons, developers and estates should ask two things when choosing a fibre service provider, in addition to reviewing costs and service requirements:
Membership – is the provider a member of FTTH Council Africa? Members are issued with a membership certificate which they should be able to produce on request.
References – a reputable provider will have no objection to providing contactable references for previous work done.
FTTH Council Africa maintains a list of current members on its website – ftthcouncilafrica. com – as an easy reference tool for anyone looking for a provider of the various services involved in FTTH deployment and operation.
It also supports communities looking to invest in fibre in a number of ways. Communities can register on the site, thus enabling providers to see where there is high demand and plan their activities accordingly. Registration also gives communities access to free workshops organised and conducted by FTTH Council Africa where they can engage with other communities considering fibre.
FTTH Council Africa has also developed written materials that explain FTTH in simple terms. These can be obtained from FTTH or downloaded and emailed to community members.
The site also features a community toolkit that guides communities considering fibre and includes information on the value fibre brings, how to organise within your community to drive the project, how to create a business case and how to go about finding a provider to deploy in your neighbourhood.
FTTH Council Africa believes that the development and deployment of fibre-based broadband access networks will enhance the quality of life of South African citizens and the people of Africa as a whole, and provide African countries with an infrastructure for the future. The council’ s mission is to see the adoption of fibre deployments by all broadband stakeholders, thereby enhancing the lives of all people living on the African continent.
Juanita Clark www. ftthcouncilafrica. com
CONFERENCE 2016
Cape Town 4-6 October
THE FUTURE OF SMART