IS plans to secure two new satellite hubs and deploy POPs in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya, Angola and Ghana DIMENSION DATA will add to its R150 million infrastructure investment of last year with a further R115 million planned for subsidiary Internet Solutions (IS) this year, as the company moves on its aims to increase its voice and mobility offerings and extend its foothold in Africa.

Angus MacRobert, CEO of IS, says the investment will help reduce the cost of offerings and increase the quality and number of products. Substantial redundancy will further be added to the network.

Last year, IS invested in a satellite hub and points of presence (POPs) in Hong Kong, Mauritius, Germany, Namibia and Nigeria, upgraded its POPs in London and New York, and beefed up general infrastructure in SA. However, it was its investment in a new voice platform and voice switch that gave it the foundation in the convergence arena it wanted.

This year, with voice platform in place, the company plans to secure two new satellite hubs and deploy POPs in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Kenya, Angola and Ghana, which have already gone live. Internet Solutions currently supports over 46% of the entire South African leased line market, including 75% of corporate hosted applications and 80% of the dial-up market.