JSE-listed Huge Group has moved to reduce the cost of installing router equipment at its customers’ premises through the adoption of newly acquired intellectual property (IP).

This emerged as Huge, which provided a full outbound and inbound telephony service over a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication last-mile, using fixed-cellular equipment, reported a significant jump in customer numbers since the start of the financial year.

By February, Huge Telecom had a base of 20 000 installed fixed-cellular router- (FCR-) based telephone lines, with the first five months of the year registering telephone line sales and installed FCR channels of more than 5 400.

“With the growth in connections that Huge Telecom is experiencing, it is becoming ever more important to reduce the cost of investment in fixed-cellular customer premises equipment,” the company said in a voluntary statement to shareholders on Tuesday.

The new IP, acquired by wholly owned subsidiary Huge Software, would significantly lower the cost of manufacturing FCRs, which currently costs Huge Telecom between R1-million and R1.5-million a month to buy.

Huge Software bought SpiderCell FCR – originally manufactured by DM Technologies – from Deon Marais, with an in-principle agreement between Huge Software and Deon Marais that would see the latter likely assist with engineering and further development, as well as the production of the product family.

The group had also inked a deal with Busiraks Mobile Solutions and John Walker to acquire the IP comprising Xena FCR.

“Unlike FCR units sourced from overseas suppliers, these devices are also completely locally designed, developed and field-tested and are, therefore, absolutely compatible with the local South African GSM networks and protocols,” Huge Group noted.

The IP was also fully compliant and certified with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.