- Ilitha Telecommunications has announced an investment from Meridiam at the UN International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conference in Geneva.
- The investment will go towards expanding Ilitha’s fibre network in rural parts of the country.
- It is expected to reach 500 000 homes and potentially impact more than 2 million South Africans.
Ilitha Telecommunications has announced a significant investment from transformational infrastructure specialists Meridiam. The announcement came at the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU) conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
The investment will specifically focus on the expansion of Ilitha’s high-speed fibre network in South Africa, and in particular with an effort to reach at least 500 000 low-income homes.
Ilitha predicts the expansion will impact over 2 million South Africans that live in underserved communities.
“Access to affordable, high-speed internet is a fundamental human right and an enabler of economic opportunity. Yet many people living in townships and rural areas lack access and remain locked out of opportunity,” noted Vuyani Jarana (pictured above), CEO and founder of Ilitha Telecommunications.
“This investment from Meridiam will help bridge that gap by significantly expanding broadband access and opening doors to education, healthcare, and economic participation, while directly contributing to job creation and fostering entrepreneurship in the communities that need it most,” he added.
Unpacking some of the elements involved with the expansion, Ilitha said that it will start on rolling out affordable, high-speed fibre internet to underserved communities across SA, starting in the Eastern Cape.
Here is plans to offer flexible, pay-as-you-go broadband internet plans for R3 per day or R90 per month using fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and on-the-go WiFi from hotspots erected in the area.
“In addition to connectivity, this expansion will create significant employment opportunities, helping address persistent unemployment challenges, especially among youth and women. Previous deployments have shown that for every 36 homes connected, one job is created throughout the project, either directly in infrastructure deployment or indirectly through local service and support roles,” the company in a release shared with Hypertext.
“With this investment, we aim to play a catalytic role in the nascent but fast-growing internet market in the underserved areas of South Africa. But even more importantly, we expect to contribute to a tangible positive social and economic impact on township communities by providing them with reliable, affordable and fast internet connectivity,” added Marie Lam Frendo, Meridiam partner and chief strategy officer.
No precise date has been outlined for the expansion to begin, but Ilitha looks to be laying the ground work, and already has a plan in mind to rollout affordable internet access in more rural areas across the country.
[Image – Provided]
