Vumatel has launched a prepaid platform for its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) services, MyBroadband reported. In 2014, Vumatel unsettled the telecoms sector, the portal said, when it pioneered FTTH in South Africa, and has since connected thousands of homes in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban to broadband internet.
MyBroadband said margins continue to erode and consolidation looks likely. It said the fibre land grab is intensifying and customer loyalty diminishing, so new products in the sector are a must. Vumatel has kept its new offering a closely guarded secret but has now announced what it claims is the world's first prepaid platform for fibre-to-the-home services.
Vumatel says more than 1,000 homes have activated its fibre through the prepaid platform so far, with another 40,000 expected to be added in the next four months. The company has a footprint in excess of 600,000 homes and anticipates that there are at least another 700,000 homes in emerging markets that it can reach, with the prepaid platform a key enabler of this roll-out.
According to Vumatel, the prepaid platform gives customers uncapped, unlimited internet access for a 28-day period. They can either top up automatically or purchase additional access as and when finances allow.
