INTERNET OF THINGS
INCREASING THE VALUE OF YOUR
PROPERTY WITHOUT
SPENDING A CENT !
South Africa ’ s economy is struggling . High interest rates and weak household finances are pushing investors and buyers to the sidelines , and homeowners are under increasing pressure to find alternative ways to ensure that their property remains relevant and attractive .
Gone are the days when manicured gardens and interior décor were the main selling points . According to the FTTH Council Africa , there are other ways to ensure that your property is desirable and it has nothing to do with the 3 “ Ls ”.
Juanita Clark , CEO of the FTTH Council Africa , shared her insight into the Council and fibre progress in South Africa .
Juanita , tell us a bit more about the FTTH Council Africa .
The FTTH Council Africa is an independent , not-forprofit organisation and active member of the Fibre Council Global Alliance ( FCGA ) alongside the FTTH Council Europe , Asia Pacific , North America , Middle East and North Africa . We have more than 550 members globally and our work is funded through contributions of members who agree that the deployment of fibre optic broadband networks will enhance the quality of life for citizens in South Africa and increase effectiveness and competitiveness within the global marketplace .
Why was the FTTH Council Africa established ?
In 2010 , the FTTH Council Africa was founded by individuals who believed that the organisation could help to define , position and advance the fibre optic market in South Africa . The industry was new , it had glaring gaps in legislation and needed an independent voice to raise awareness of its issues , and support the development of industry professionals . We work closely with government organisations and bring the industry together . Our members take leadership roles in establishing industry standards , best practices , education , and promotion of fibre optic networks as the only sustainable architecture that will serve the needs of future generations .
As far as industry associations go , the FTTH Council Africa has seen tremendous growth . To what do you ascribe this ?
Simply put , consumers ’ demand for bandwidth and the experience that FTTH promises . Consumers are living much smarter lives , and want to be ‘ always on – always available ’. They want to watch what they want , when they want to . They want their homes to be smarter , and they want their communities to be smarter . Fibre optic infrastructure promises to do all this and more . This is why communities that are connected with fibre are becoming increasingly attractive to live in and why properties are seeing an increase in value .
FTTH is touted as the ultimate form of broadband access . Why is this ?
Fibre is the ultimate form of broadband access for a number of reasons . Firstly , there is the most obvious component – speed . Fibre optic cables are glass tubes with casings that allow light pulses to bounce to the end and they are significantly faster than traditional copper cables in terms of bandwidth .
Furthermore , there is quality of service . Traditional wired cables are more susceptible to signal interference and noise , which can result in loss of data or picture quality . For a while , homeowners were the cause of delays in rolling out broadband networks in their neighbourhoods . This was in the early days when consumers did not understand what it was all about . Today it is a very different story , and HOAs are really trying to make
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