If you’ve been noticing some strange construction near pavements on the road with cables and many a notice board talking about Fibre, but still don’t know what it is exactly, you have come to the right place.
What is ‘Fibre’?
Fibre is currently the best form of Internet you can get. The name comes from the use of plastic or glass cables that transfer the data. These cables transfer data faster than the original copper cables. It is practically the same thing; it just offers higher internet speeds.
Also in South Africa, copper happens to be stolen quite often. The value of the Fibre cable compared to copper is almost nothing. So hardly any worries on your connectivity being stopped due to theft.
Do I need it?
If there is a ‘fibre to the home’ initiative in your suburb, then the answer is yes. Even if the cost is more than you previously paid for Internet there are ways of cutting other costs to make the total expense comparable. For instance, you could cancel your Telkom landline and use Voice over IP instead. Or cancel your TV satellite subscription and subscribe to an Internet service like Showmax. For businesses and schools that rely heavily on the internet for downloading files, emails and other things then Fibre is even more of a necessity and should pay for itself quickly.
The only time we wouldn’t recommend fibre is if you are a very occasional Internet user and don’t have the types of expenses listed above which you can cut.
Where can I get it?
Unfortunately, in South Africa not all areas can connect to Fibre. It is very expensive to run a Fibre connection to one person in isolation which is why certain companies are rolling it out to entire suburbs at a time. This way you can benefit from the economy of scale and get it for a fraction of the price. There unfortunately isn’t one source to find out where Fibre is being rolled out but when they start tearing up every road in your suburb it’s a good indication you’ll get it soon!
Some things to think about
- Having fibre physically connected to your house is only the first step. You also need to subscribe to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) who connects you to the Internet. Each ISP has different packages, prices and small print – similar to a cellphone contract. Make sure you understand all of the aspects and choose the right package, keeping in mind that you will more than likely use more bandwidth than previously.
- Next step is that you need it to be connected to your home Wi-Fi, TV’s computers, and iPad’s and this is where Dial a Nerd steps in to help!
- Having super-fast Internet at home is fantastic but it might mean your children are exposed to more risks online. Always be sure they understand the risks and take time to investigate software or a firewall which blocks access to unwanted websites or applications.
