Paratus Namibia has signed its first ‘fibre open access’ agreement with Africa Online. As part of the deal, Paratus will share its infrastructure with licensed operators in delivering fibre connections to the broader business and domestic market in Namibia.
By removing the main barrier to enter the market, Open Access allows multiple operators to share the same fibre infrastructure and deliver services to their respective customers without the need to duplicate the costly development of that infrastructure.
“This is really a market disruptor because we are sharing our infrastructure in a way that has never been done before in our country. By breaking with tradition, we are launching a truly commercial initiative and giving a leg-up to the ICT industry by creating opportunities for other licensed operators to access our network,” says Andrew Hall, MD of Paratus Namibia.
“We have made a significant investment in our infrastructure and this obviates the need for other operators to do so. The spin-off can only be positive and help boost business confidence. It is a win-win solution.”
“We have been committed to delivering Africa’s quality network and now we are opening the valve for improved communication in Namibia; we are removing the clots, and we are letting the lifeblood of communication flow freely.”
Africa Online is the first of many in the pipeline to sign up for Paratus Namibia’s Open Access service. Africa Online MD, Ingram van Heerden says, “Partnering with Paratus to be able to offer fibre services to the Namibian market allows us to continue offering the best technology at the best price to our customers without making a huge outlay of capital investment.”
“Paratus has made a significant infrastructure investment and rolled out a high-quality fibre network, and Africa Online is proud to be their first open-access partner and to be able to take advantage of this opportunity. As well as improving our value proposition to customers, this will have an immediate and positive effect on our business.”
