South African telecoms operator Telkom and infrastructure provider Vumatel are reportedly in discussions in regards to a fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) partnership, which may significantly increase their respective footprints, MyBroadband reports. Details about the potential tie-up are scarce; Vumatel’s CEO Niel Schoeman told the news outlet that the information is ‘not far off the mark’, but added that he was not in a position to comment further. Telkom spokesperson Jacqui O’Sullivan meanwhile disclosed that Telkom engages with industry players on a regular basis, ‘looking to see where partnerships or collaborations might add value to their customers.’
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Vumatel launched its open-access FTTH network in October 2014 and by January 2016 the ISP connected Greenside, Parktown North, Parkwood and Saxonwold to its fibre-based network, with ongoing deployments in Linden, Emmarentia, Victory Park, Bryanston South, Blairgowrie, Killarney & Riviera and Hurlingham & Hurlingham Manor (all started in October 2015). For its part, Telkom introduced its fibre-optic services in 23 suburbs in Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal (KZN) and the Western Cape in December 2014, and by January 2016 its FTTH network (operated by wholesale division Openserve) was available in a number of locations in Gauteng, KZN, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo.