Name and Location
Fibre-optic broadband network project, Gauteng, South Africa.

Client
Gauteng provincial government.

Project Description
The project comprises the construction, operation and maintenance of a province-wide 1 600 km high-speed fibre-optic broadband network.

It includes the connection of 316 Gauteng provincial government buildings, 45 identified Thusong Centres, 20 priority townships, nine identified economic development zones and six urban-renewal nodes to the Internet.

The broadband network will provide network coverage for 95% of Gauteng’s population and deliver voice and data services to 130 000 Gauteng provincial government employees.

Optical fibre will be leased from private- and public-sector entities.

Value
R1.2-billion.

Duration
The project will take five years for the design, implementation, operation and transfer of the network.

The network will ultimately be transferred and owned by the Gauteng provincial government at the end of the five-year term.

Latest Developments
Allied Technology (Altech) Alcom Matomo has been awarded the contract for the construction, operation and maintenance of the project.

The entire solution will include the core infrastructure and overlaid services, which will consist of:
• the design, implementation and operation of a next-generation network, and a core network that provides a virtual private network of converged network services;
• fibre access network connectivity to Gauteng provincial government buildings;
• improved universal access through connectivity to community service centres; and
• fibre connectivity to 20 identified priority townships.

The services will include Internet services, with a bandwidth of 1 GB or 10 GB (symmetrical or asymmetrical); VPN services; and telephony services.

Altech’s partner, Chinese global technology giant Huawei, will provide a large component of the network equipment.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Altech Alcom Matomo (construction, operation and maintenance project) and Huawei (network equipment).

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
Altech head office GM: corporate communications Chris Van Zyl, tel+27 11 715 9037 or
email cvanzyl@altech.co.za.
Gauteng provincial government head of communications Matlakala Motloung,
tel +27 11 355 6877 or fax +27 11 355 6834.