The number of fixed and wireless broadband connections in South Africa is expected to reach over 3,3 million subscribers by 2012, according to research firm BMI-TechKnowledge.
Installers and cabling professionals need access to test equipment that will help them do their jobs faster and more efficiently, while service providers need to monitor these next-generation networks (NGNs) for quality.
Comtest recently played host to JDSU's George Ishak. Based in Dubai, Ishak is the account manager for JDSU's Africa Channel Partners. JDSU offers communications test and measurement solutions and optical products for telecommunications service providers, cable operators and network equipment manufacturers.
Comtest's Gary Casper (left) with JDSU's George Ishak
During his week-long trip, Ishak visited several key Comtest customers, including Eskom, Transtel, Neotel, Telkom and Nokia Siemens. He says that one of the trends that he identified was a need for equipment to monitor the service and quality of NGNs.
"In addition, the adoption of IP-based voice, data and video services makes it a strategic imperative that telecommunications and cable network operators deploy broadband triple-play test solutions that extend from the core network into the home," adds Ishak.
"Essentially, all of JDSU's products are NGN compliant. We would like to create a new culture where even companies using the older types of networking will convert to the 'new' way of testing and measuring the quality of service on those networks."
While some of these technologies are still in the planning stages in South Africa, they are already well implemented in Europe and the United States. The addition of a second national telecommunications operator is also expected to herald a boom in the wireless business.
Ishak says, "We have a great deal of experience in assisting companies to reach the levels that they need to be at in order to be competitive. We are ready to share this knowledge with South African companies through our local representative, Comtest."
According to Comtest's Gary Casper, Ishak's visit proved invaluable in highlighting current and future applications for JDSU's technology. "George asked different questions to those that we ask, putting another angle on the service that we can offer our customers. It was also good for him to meet our customers, cementing the continuity between Comtest and our partner, JDSU."
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