As of October 2022, more than 170 million more people use the internet than they did twelve months before. That takes the total number of internet users to 5.07 billion of the 8 billion people alive today. That is 63.5% of all the humans on the planet. In South Africa, the World Bank estimates that 70% of the population uses the internet, and with around 170 000 customers and counting, Vox Telecom is at the forefront of connecting South Africa to the world thanks, in part, to their ground breaking partnership with Vuma.
Claire Williamson, Senior Product Manager – FTTH at Vox Telecoms says, “It is becoming apparent that internet access is not just something nice to have, it a necessary part of thriving in the modern world. Our goal has always been to do more than just provide market-leading internet access. We offer data, communications, and collaboration solutions that are specifically designed to help connect South Africans to the world, and most importantly, to each other.”
“Amid so much uncertainty and mounting socio-economic woes in South Africa, high-speed fibre internet has the potential to create even more opportunities to keep communities connected, children learning even when they’re at home, and keep the workforce productive by enabling remote work,” adds Lianne Williams of Vuma.
More connected than ever:
A decade ago, the average number of connected devices in a home would have been less than 10. Now, thanks to the growing popularity of tablets, the Internet of Things, and smart devices, it is common for a home to have dozens of connected devices in one home. This has led to a surge in people needing to upgrade the speed of their connections, especially as more people work from home.
Williamson says, “Year on year, we have seen an increase of 15-20% in usage per connection. As we continue to put fibre in more parts of the country, we understand that fibre network owners will need to be able to manage an increasing variety of demands and we are well-positioned to do just that. We provide conditional free installation and activation on our FTTH products, and are part of a strong network of companies that can serve a range of communities,”
Providing solutions for every need:
As one of the top-ranked internet service providers that supply fibre to the home, Vox has built a reputation based on being a Jack of all trades and a master of each of them.
Williamson says, “Over the years, what has worked for us is our ability to service a wide range of clients. We offer Voice, Hosting and Internet security services, Wi-Fi boosting, UPS’s, Email, Office 365 and so much more. What that means for home users is that you get business-grade functionality. For companies, it means that we have solutions that can cater for a 5-person operation or a 5000-person corporate,”
The closely forged relationship and shared mindset between Vuma as a fibre provider, and Vox Telecom as an internet service provider, has seen a direct business impact and results for an organisation, who have built a reputation for their customer passion and strong company culture.
Williams from Vuma says, “For us, this partnership highlights how local companies can collaborate to bring world-class, reliable internet at budget busting rates. We are also proud to be able to be a connectivity champion for private use and businesses of all stripes.”
By leveraging technology to enhance customer experience and support entrepreneurs Vox has helped ordinary South Africans and business owners compete in the digital era. Vox also proactively provides security management on all devices shipped and installed at its customer premises.
The future is fibre:
For years South Africans have grappled with the challenges associated with copper theft. In the past, it caused endless headaches for ISPs. This has meant that South Africa has had to opt for fibre connectivity which provides faster connectivity, is more durable and less susceptible to interference.
“In the South African context, copper connected homes are probably not going to exist in the future because of the challenges that come with it. The unseen benefit in that is that as we continue to roll out fibre access to more parts of the country, we are also giving South Africans faster, more reliable internet access than they would not have in some parts of the world,” says Williamson.
Williamson concludes, “We believe in taking full responsibility for all our technical implementations and systems, from concept to installation. We are also always continuously working to improve so that our clients always have access to the very highest standard of products and service. That is why Vox always has and continues to be the ISP of choice for so many businesses and individuals.”
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