Neotel users not affected by SAT-3 cable failure

Neotel assured its Internet users that the recent international Internet connectivity problem, due to a failure of the SAT-3 cable that connects Cape Town to Europe, will not affect Neotel’s network.

Angus Hay, Neotel’s Executive Head of Technology, said Neotel Internet customers including local Internet Service Providers, businesses and consumers were unaffected by the interruption, since Neotel uses multiple cables, such as SAFE and SEACOM.

“The break of SAT-3 cable had no impact on our Internet customers, since services simply shifted to other cables. We make use of other cables such as SAFE, which runs from Durban to India and the Fast East, and particularly SEACOM, from north of Durban to East Africa, Asia and Europe”, said Hay.

Neotel will add more capacity to its networks in July 2010, when the East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) will be operational. “More cables will increase the available international bandwidth, as well as the level of reliability of international links”, concluded Hay.

Neotel is South Africa’s converged communications network operator, providing voice and data services for businesses, wholesale network operators, providers and consumers using its IP Next Generation Network, powered by a high-performance fibre optic backbone.