By Justin Colyn, Comsol Chief Sales & Marketing Officer
As we begin the New Year, our imaginations stretch towards all the wondrous possibilities enabled by rapidly-advancing technologies…
In every sector, businesses are grasping new opportunities, powered by the Cloud, and distributed blockchain technology, deep learning, artificial intelligence, smart devices and much more. These domains are colliding and coalescing into one another, reshaping the very nature of business.
For enterprises of all sizes, a host of exciting new services and innovations are available at our fingertips.
But of course, to make the most of these new innovations and to truly shake things up in 2018, organisations need high-speed connectivity. And when we look at the past few years as a guide, it’s clear that we’ll need networks that can handle an exponential increase in traffic over the next few years.
Trying to create a next-generation business with previous-generation connectivity is simply not possible!
Losing relevance
It’s for this reason that those businesses still clinging to their DigiNet lines need to ‘cut the cord’ in 2018.
Many of us remember the early days of the internet in South Africa, constrained by limited international connectivity, expensive wholesale access and crude networking technology. At the turn of the century and into the early 2000s, DigiNet was one of the few ways for businesses and individuals to get decent-quality internet.
Back then, a dedicated 2Mbps line was really all one needed, enabling business leaders to take those first teetering steps towards eCommerce.
But today, even the average 3G mobile service or basic ADSL fixed line provides far better speeds than 2Mbps. More advanced LTE (mobile) and Fibre (fixed) technologies make the 2Mbps DigiNet line look like a relic from ancient history.
From a technical perspective, DigiNet lines are unlikely to be maintained for much longer, as telcos focus on far newer technologies, and as the DigiNet technology loses relevance completely.
It’s time for a change. Out with the old, and in with the new.
‘Fibre in the sky’
As the ‘DigiNet holdouts’ contemplate their next technology choice, there may be a lesser-known alternative that gives businesses impressive speeds, resilience, and limitless scalability – at a compelling price-point.
Known as the CX Network, we’ve harnessed the power of the highly sought-after 28Ghz spectrum through our licensing agreements with ICASA.
The result is industrial-grade wireless connectivity, with various product options offering speeds into the hundreds of Mbps. Generally, there is very little difference between the prices of this wireless connection, when compared with fibre
In technical terms, the CX Network is an MEF 2.0 compliant layer 2 network (qualitative and quantitative SLAs). It has coverage in over 200 metro areas – allowing businesses to get connected in just a few days. For more remote locations, Comsol can build bespoke networks that link to our central infrastructure.
As an independent telco that wholly owns the infrastructure, we’re able to resolve any network issues promptly. In fact, it’s the quick response times from our army of roving technicians that’s helped build Comsol into the force it is today.
By terminating at the closest Teraco data centre, you unlock new opportunities for Cloud-first technology and business strategies. You’re able to send vast amounts of data up and down the network, running powerful applications and data platforms that allow you to compete on the global stage.
The CX product range offers a performance that is equivalent to fibre, but with none of the drawbacks (like lengthy installation times, coverage limitations, and the inability to ‘port’ to another location).
It’s for this reason that we’ve started referring to it as ‘fibre in the sky’!
And perhaps most excitingly, as our networking hardware becomes more advanced, and as our coverage continues to densify and expand, the CX Network will become ever-faster, ensuring that is stays one step ahead of your business’ needs.