Evotel Installs Fibre with free Connectivity to Welkom Schools
Evotel, an open-access fibre to the home (FTTH) network provider has commenced with the installation of an upgraded aerial fibre internet network in areas of the Matjhabeng (Welkom) local municipality.
The FTTH network will cover 13 suburbs, which includes: Bedelia, Dagbreek, Doorn, Sandania, Flamingo Park, Jan Cilliers Park, Jim Fouche Park, Lake View, Naudeville, Reitz Park, Seemeeu Park, St Helena and Welkom Central.
In consultation with community members and on approval of the municipality, Evotel has embarked on the fibre network installation using existing municipal infrastructure, to aid in their aerial fibre network rollout. Additional gum poles are used to supplement where municipal infrastructure is not viable for use.
Due to the feasibility of an aerial installation, it is possible to do an extensive blanket roll-out, getting critical connectivity to more people in Matjhabeng quicker.
Why Aerial?
“This joint type of installation allows for a faster rollout time as well as the least disruption to the community and property. The process, as well as the aerial FTTH network, is easily serviceable, allowing for quick access to the servicing and maintenance of the network and infrastructure,” says Evotel spokesperson, Bradley Bekker.
The Matjhabeng installation is expected to take approximately 8 to 12 weeks to complete without any unforeseen disruptions.
The lower impact and risk of an interruption on underground municipal infrastructures for municipalities that are already under severe pressure to deliver these services is a great benefit to residents. There is no need to dig underground to install or later service the network cabling that might pose a risk of damage to municipal services such as water and electricity and could be interrupted for extended periods during repairs.
“From a maintenance perspective, the above-ground solution drastically eases and shortens maintenance work and repairs to the network infrastructure. This means residents’ internet will not be down for long and neither will their water, sewage and electricity be disrupted,” Bekker confirms.
Fibre for Schools
In line with Evotel’s promise of providing uncompromised services, it has undertaken to provide free internet connections to all the schools that fall under its network installation. Adds Bekker: “There are currently 16 schools across the 13 suburbs under our network coverage area in Welkom, which include primary schools, high schools, both public and private. The main focus here is to provide learners with the ability to connect to the internet, giving them access to the much-needed resources to be successful, as children are our future leaders. We have aligned with certain internet service providers (ISP) who are working alongside us with this project”.
This sponsored service, fully covered by Evotel, is based on the same principle of laying fibre to build smart cities, but now to establish ‘smart-schools’. “The schools don’t have to pay a cent for the fast open-access fibre infrastructure to connect them to the internet. It’s one of our ways to give back to the community,” he states. In addition, Evotel will assist the municipality with the installation of CCTV camera nodes in areas deemed crime hotspots by the municipality. “We have agreed to further assist the community and the municipality with the installation of the camera nodes while we are busy with our network installation. It makes sense to us as a company that if we can assist to keep a community safe, that it would be a part of our rollout. While we are busy stringing the fibre cables, we will help in setting up the cameras and will provide the municipality and SAPS with a free feed to those camera nodes once the network is live.” concludes Bekker.
https://evotel.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/15-April-2021-Vista-News.pdf
