CIOopinion
OPINION
“
ONE OF THE
CHALLENGES MOBILE
OPERATORS FACE IS HIGH
CONTENTION RATES. THIS
MEANS THAT THE MORE
USERS ARE ON THEIR
NETWORKS, THE SLOWER
ACCESS BECOMES.
Jacques du Toit, CEO, Vox
Fibre critical to serving
the country at its
moment of need
The lockdown enforced on
many due to the spread of
Coronavirus could change the
way employees work even after
the pandemic. Jacques du Toit,
CEO, Vox, said many companies
have been forced to look at new
ways of working and how to
engage with each other.
South Africa has joined several
other countries around the world
in locking down to limit the spread
of the Coronavirus. But beyond the
impact this has had on people’s lives, it
has highlighted how essential access to
reliable, high-speed fibre infrastructure has
become for the economy to keep going.
It should come as no surprise that the
government has identified it as a critical
service. Fortunately, many people are
still able to work remotely and fulfil
most of their job requirements, albeit
in a digital-centric way. Broadband
penetration is critical to the economy – in
a study conducted by the World Bank it
was proven that for every 10% increase
in broadband penetration there is an
increase between 1.19% and 1.35% rise
in GDP. South Africa is in desperate need
for all kinds of economic stimulus and
hence the importance of keeping these
services running during a lockdown period.
Of course, this entails more than just
video conferencing and sending more
emails. It reflects a fundamental shift in
business approach that will enhance how
companies operate. Once the lockdown
ends, the landscape would have evolved
to such an extent that nothing will return
to normal.
This push to allow for working from home
has put pressure on IT departments
to ensure systems still run smoothly. If
anything, it has illustrated that ageing
connectivity such as ADSL can no longer
be relied upon. And while much is made
about the user-friendliness of wireless
technologies such as 4G, LTE and 5G,
the high cost of mobile data and the
incapacity of the networks to deal with
38 INTELLIGENTCIO
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