ADSL users are set to benefit from Telkom’s planned speed upgrades at no additional cost. 
Casper Kondo Chihaka, Telkom’s managing executive of wholesale services, says: “As part of the company’s network transformation programme, deploying our exchange infrastructure closer to businesses and residential customers – essentially shortening the local loop – means that we are in a position to increase the performance of ADSL lines. This will provide customers the ability to burst to potentially higher speeds subject to network conditions.”

Telkom’s wholesale division is planning to upgrade its resell DSL Access offerings as follows:
• * Up to 1 024 kbps will be migrated to up to 2 048 kbps,;
• * Up to 2 048 kbps will be migrated to op to 4 096 kbps; and
• * Up to 4 096/10 240 kbps will be migrated to up to 10 240 kbps.
In future, the up to 4 096/10 240 kbps product offering will be split into two separate offerings – up to 4 096 kbps and up to 10 240 kbps.

The migration to higher speeds will take place in a phased approach beginning from 11 November 2013. Owing to a planned network freeze over the December 2013/January 2014 period the upgrade process will be paused and will resume thereafter.
“These speed enhancements will contribute to driving fixed broadband penetration in the South African market as it facilitates the access for ISPs’ customers to rich media content such as video, music and seamless live streaming,” says Chihaka.