Residential Estate Industry Journal 3 | Page 55

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