SNO launches services as Neotel

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20 September 2006 News

The new identity of the second national operator has been unveiled at a recent event in Johannesburg by the company's managing director, Ajay Pandey. After trading temporarily under the name SNO Telecommunications (known as the SNO), the company is now called Neotel.

At the event Pandey outlined the planned rollout of telecoms services based on leading-edge technologies and reiterated the company's promise to introduce initial services for consumers by March 2007. Neotel is promising to 'change the telecoms landscape in South Africa' by introducing high-quality telecommunications services at reasonable prices in accordance with the aims of the Electronic Communications Act.

Pandey said Neotel's strategic objectives were: to become the preferred provider of leading-edge telecoms in South Africa; to reduce the cost of doing business in South Africa; to bring the benefits of communications to the second economy and to support and promote developing industries.

He said Neotel has secured access to the relevant Eskom and Transnet infrastructure, including almost 10 000 kms of optical fibre backbone within metros and across the country and would offer a variety of fixed and wireless services. "We anticipate a cumulative capital expenditure of more than R11 billion in the first 10 years of our operation," he added.

Neotel represents the combined strength of the Tata Group, through Tata Africa and its subsidiary VSNL, a global telecommunications player, Telecom Namibia through Communitel, Two Consortium, the BEE shareholder Nexus Connexion, and the telecommunications arms of state-owned enterprises Transnet and Eskom.

According to Neotel, services will begin to roll out to businesses in December this year; corporate services will begin with a limited number of customers in the major metros. Neotel expects to have its first residential and SMME customers connected by the end of March 2007. These voice and data (including high speed Internet and true broadband access) services will also start in the major metros but will gradually expand across the country, to reach up to 80% of the country's population.

For more information see www.neotel.co.za

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