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Tonderai Rutsito TechSpot
TelOne has begun replacing old underground cables with high speed fibre optic and copper cables around Harare’s Central Business District.
Most of the cables had been lying underground for decades which had affected their ability to transmit data and voice messages quickly and efficiently.
The replacement of the copper cables is a set by TelOne to optimise their network for a converged digital future.

The rolling out of a new fibre access network to the home (FTTH) while welcome is, however, very expensive and will come at a cost to the user.
It is estimated that deploying FTTH requires investment, approximately 2 to 5 times higher than required for existing copper plant. There are also regulatory and technology issues i.e. active/passive repeaters to be considered although they are minor.

However, despite the different challenges copper cables remain very relevant and fast enough for our daily broadband  needs, pumping high speeds with cost effective measures around the nation, a move which ideally calls for higher bandwidth optimisation with maximum through puts stipulated in the below table.

Copper can match the bit rates of optical fibre now and in the immediate future.
According to TelOne users can get the same level of access via fibre optic and existing copper based solutions.

Worldwide DSL technologies are still in use and delivering quality services. Finally, the most bandwidth demanding services are the video services.

Generally video service specifications are as follows: –
IPTV HD — 20 Mbps per stream (at most 5HD, STB, totalling 100Mbps)
IPTV SD — 4 Mbps per stream
Over the Top (OTT) 0 2.5 Mbps per stream

As illustrated all these bandwidth requirements are within the capabilities of the DSL. TelOne offers the ADSL2+ service in Mutare, Gweru, Marondera, Chitungwiza, Gwanda, Norton, Victoria Falls, Chegutu, Masvingo, Kadoma, Bindura, Chinhoyi, Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo and Rusape.

HSDSL has become a favourite of many who are data hungry for real time connectivity as they demand the highest balanced uplink and downlink for stable video streaming, video conferencing and any video based IP service.

However, TelOne runs on a fibre optic backbone that stretches from Mozambique out via Victoria Falls, and still remains way faster than the DSL connectivity, in fact they say it has infinite speed, the demand so far has remained below the fibre capability.

The writer is the editor for TechnoMag Zimbabwe`s Premier Technology Magazine, more   www.technom.ag/6a <http://www.technom.ag/6a>or join us on our facebook page www.facebook.com/technomagzw <http://www.facebook.com/technomagzw>  Email