In the last few months a slew of companies have announced plans to rollout fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services and mobile operator MTN is the latest to throw its hat in the ring. MTN plans to roll out a range of FTTH packages nationally following a trial of the service in the Monaghan Farm in Johannesburg.
Customers can choose between 10GB, 20GB, 50GB, 100GB and 500GB data bundles, and line speeds of 20Mbit/s, 50Mbit/s or 100Mbit/s. MTN says it will also install a Wi-Fi device as part of each package.
Prices vary according to the selected data bundle size and line speed. For example, customers who opt for a 20GB data package with a line speed of 20Mbit/s will pay a total monthly fee of R794, which includes the cost of line rental.
Meanwhile, a 50GB data bundle with a line speed of 50Mbit/s will cost R1 014 a month and a 100GB bundle at 100Mbit/s line speeds will be billed at R1 389 per month. MTN has warned, however, that these prices may vary depending on the cost of installing the requisite infrastructure for the service.
MTN says the new FTTH packages will allow consumers to stream high-definition video content using services like DStv or US streaming service Netflix, play games online, and generally enjoy a faster Internet experience across their devices.
The company is also offering its customers the ability to back up their data using MTN Cloud, but hasn’t outlined how much this will cost or how much cloud storage customers will get.
Where the service is installed in a residential estate, customers will also be able to make free voice-over IP (VOIP) calls to fellow residents and paid calls to outside numbers.
Larry Annetts, chief marketing officer at MTN SA says the pilot at Monaghan Farm proved very successful and saw excellent uptake from residents. “The positive outcomes from that experience has emboldened us to roll out this cutting edge network at competitive prices. MTN has invested billions in its network infrastructure and we can’t wait to raise the bar a notch higher and improve the seamless experience which our customers have grown accustomed to.”
Earlier this week Neotel announced that it was bolstering speeds on its NeoBroadband Fibre offerings while reducing the monthly fees while fibre company Vumatel is in the process of rolling out FTTH in the Johannesburg suburb of Parkhurst with plans to do likewise in 42 other South African suburbs.
Meanwhile, MTN rival Vodacom announced last month that it is rolling out FTTH to its business customers.
