The conversation about South Africa’s connectivity future is shifting from single-channel thinking to pragmatic hybrid solutions.
That’s according to Theo van Zyl, Vox’s head of wireless, who argues that fibre and wireless connectivity solutions should complement rather than compete with each other. The result for customers is more resilient, flexible connectivity that meets modern business needs.
Van Zyl was speaking at the recent regional event in Gauteng celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Wireless Access Providers’ Association (Wapa), entitled “Wapa 20: Redefining the Wireless Landscape – Without Limits Since 2006”. Vox was a full sponsor of the event.
During the event, Van Zyl emphasised that hybrid solutions, such as fibre with wireless or satellite backup, deliver better resilience and uptime for businesses.
Hybrid connectivity should be the default
“Fibre remains our backbone, but it can be vulnerable. When it goes down, the business is offline, and businesses can’t afford downtime, especially given the evolution of cloud applications – they need to be online all the time,” said Van Zyl. “Many organisations should therefore view wireless solutions, encompassing 4G/LTE, fixed-wireless and satellite technology, as an essential failover.
“Fibre and wireless technologies provide resilience to each other, so you can’t look at wireless or fibre in isolation any more. Instead, you need to look at all the technology options holistically to deliver the uptime your business requires. In some rural scenarios, wireless will be the primary access, with low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites serving as backup. In metros, fibre paired with wireless backup will give businesses the uptime that modern cloud services demand.”
Van Zyl noted that LEO satellite services are on the horizon for South Africa and will reshape the competitive landscape. “LEO satellites bring the promise of wide coverage and rapidly improving latency, and when bundled with local access options, they become a powerful tool for extending reach.
“Vox is already working with authorised LEO services, and we are preparing to integrate consumer and enterprise LEO offerings into our portfolio as they become available. Satellite services will influence pricing and provider strategies, especially in regions where terrestrial options are limited. The key will be thoughtful packaging and local partnerships, so customers get reliable, affordable access.”
Vox as a one-stop shop
One of Vox’s strategic strengths is its ability to combine these technologies for customers. “We don’t build every network ourselves,” explains Van Zyl, “We partner widely, including with fibre operators, wireless providers and satellite operators, to deliver end-to-end connectivity solutions.”
This makes Vox a practical one-stop shop for businesses and consumers who want a single point of contact for multi-layer connectivity that can include combinations of fibre, fixed-wireless, LTE and satellite technology.
Wisps and dynamic spectrum
Van Zyl noted that wireless internet service providers (Wisps) remain vital to closing South Africa’s digital divide, especially in rural and peri-urban areas, and that the recent release of dynamic spectrum (notably the 3.8-4.2GHz range) opens up technical possibilities for Wisps to deliver higher-speed services across longer distances.
However, he warned: “Spectrum alone won’t change the market overnight, because an ecosystem is needed – encompassing customer premises equipment, base station equipment, affordable consumer devices and competitive market entry – before mass adoption is viable.
“The industry should also implement realistic price points to drive uptake – wireless must reach accessible monthly pricing for meaningful scale. In short, spectrum is the first step; affordability, equipment availability and competition must follow.”
Van Zyl believes the next wave of connectivity growth will be driven by hybrid architectures combining fibre, wireless and evolving satellite services. “This integrated approach suits customers who want guaranteed service levels without the complexity of managing multiple suppliers. It also allows Vox to curate the best mix of technologies for resilience and cost effectiveness.”
If your organisation needs a single partner to design, deploy and manage a hybrid connectivity solution, contact Vox today to discuss your business connectivity needs and a tailored hybrid solution.