O-Tel Telecom, a leading ‘Infrastructure-as-a-Service’ provider offering a variety of VoIP services nationally continues to lead the deployment of VoIP services in Kwa-Zulu Natal, focusing in Pietermaritzburg and surrounding areas. Partnering with KZNs well established and respected Wireless Internet Service Providers and PABX Specialists, O-Tel is providing services to clients where copper telephones lines were stolen and are not being replaced. Businesses have struggled due to poor telecommunications. Fax facilities, Voice, and other services such as PBX were non-existent until now. The project which began in March 2011 has been met with much success.
Mike Lauterbach, MD of Edelnet, an O-Tel partner involved in the PMB Project, explains:
“Some clients have been without Telkom for months, on and off. The areas we operate in are mostly agricultural, with bigger businesses scattered in-between. There are other service providers in our area, and it is easy to supply good products, but harder to supply good service, so our approach has been to focus on service levels. This is now paying off. “
O-Tel Telecom kept its position as the dominant VoIP Infrastructure provider in South Africa during 2011. Having reached its target 4 months before projected date, O-Tel attributes much of the success to its 1Cloud Hosted PBX Service launched in January.
Struggling to keep up with the demand is Bundu Networx, led by Brian Olson.
“We’re focusing on rural communities using our Wireless Network” comments Olson, “Currently, we are reacting to line theft and poor service from Telkom in these rural areas.” BunduNet is expanding their network to cater for the increase in clientele.
Some of the areas O-Tel currently covers with the aid of its partners are: Camperdown, Cato Ridge,
Wartburg, Dalton, Fawnleas, New Hanover, Cramond, Gilboa, Pietermaritzburg, Nottingham Road, Kamberg, Loteni, Mooi River, Mount West, Lidgetton, Balgowan, Lions River and parts of Dargle. Eston, Mid-Illovo.
Mohammad Patel, CEO of O-Tel Telecom is anticipating further growth.
” The number of service activations in KZN has been phenomenal! We’ve ported tons of 031 and 033 numbers from Telkom due to their poor service delivery in the area. We’ve already applied for a larger Fibre Backhaul Connection to the main O-Tel switches to accommodate the increase in demand. We’ve cemented ourselves as the VoIP leaders in the area, particularly in Pietermaritzburg. Our quality, service and pricing is truly superior to competitors. Our market share proves it.”
O-Tel has been reaching far and wide places deploying services to the rural areas, with the aid of many WAPA members who have found O-Tels VoIP infrastructure to fit the WISP model perfectly. As one of the few success stories since VANS had their licences changed to IECNS, O-Tel Telecom is sure making a mark in South Africas’ Telecommunication Sector.
Contributed by Otel Telecom
O-Tel is South Africa’s fastest growing Infrastructure-as-a-Service provider, with an established and stable VoIP infrastructure. O-Tel provides Private Label Services such as SIP Trunking and Hosted PBX to WISPs, ISPs, IT Service Providers, PBX Installers, and enterprises. O-Tel is proud to be a Licensed National Telecom Service Provider in South Africa. For information on O-Tel’s products and services, please visit www.otelafrica.com.