South African city prepares for broadband

09.05.2006
As laid back and relaxed as it is, Durban municipality is continuously working on ways to improve access to technology.

An example of this is the recent completion of one of the phases of the pilot project that is intended to provide low-cost broadband, voice and data to the city's residents and businesses.

According to Jacquie Subban, head of Geographic Information and Policy at eThekwini Municipality, who is leading the project, the first two pilot sites providing low-cost broadband communications across the city of Durban's electrical grid and fiber-optic network have proved successful.

Subban explains that there were two pilot sites, one at a park in Morningside, and the other at a school in Ntuzuma. These were done to test power line communications.

The reason for this pilot project was to make use of the existing fiber-optic network, and through this provide a means by which data could be transmitted to nearby homes and businesses, without incurring extra costs to residents.

Speaking about the Morningside pilot, Subban says: 'Data reaches the substation on a fiber-optic cable, which is connected to a network connection, and then to the low-voltage bus bars which provide electricity to the homes, businesses and restaurants in the Mitchell Park suburb. It terminates at a home and, from any 15 amp plug in that house, the data is converted via a power line carrier (PLC) modem to a PC or laptop.'