Fibre Coverage Map

What Exactly is a Fibre Coverage Map?

A fibre coverage map page is the best place to start for anyone looking for fibre coverage in their area. It’s also a way to verify whether a particular deal you’re after is available on your street and address. Fibre ISPs will typically show you multiple options available in your area. You can also look at the fibre coverage for each provider by visiting their websites. This article provides some useful information to get you started in your hunt for fibre, including:

1. Fibre coverage map of South Africa
2. Fibre overage for SA cities and towns, including Cape Town, Pretoria, Johannesburg, Sandton, Durban, Soweto and others.
3. Quick links to the Fibre Networks Provider and the available Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
4. A map with a quick analysis of the fibre availability in your area.

How do Fibre Coverage Maps Work?

Fibre coverage maps are essentially a database of physical addresses that carry records on whether or not fibre, LTE (4G) and ADSL is available in a particular area – perhaps the area you live, or maybe the area you intend to live. The statuses are typically either mentioned as active or not. However, some maps have an additional option for the planned deployment of fibre and the choice to request fibre in your area if it is not already available.

Because fibre internet is mapped to an address book, one thing you really need know about fibre coverage maps is that you need to be specific about what you request. If for instance, you type in “Cape Town” into a fibre coverage map, the likelihood is that it will show no coverage at all. However, zoom out and wait a bit for the map to populate and you’ll notice that various parts of Cape Town is covered. This is because the data is mapped to postcodes (note that the data takes a bit of time to load). If you type in an area, for example, “Newlands, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa” you’ll suddenly see a very different picture – and in fact, in this case it should show that fibre is available in that area. But your best bet is to type in the exact address in – street name and house number, and city. It should show you some options that you can pick from in case your address isn’t shown immediately. Don’t get disheartened if you don’t find you exact address. In that case, broaden the search a bit to the wider area, and take note of the fibre ISP email address and phone number so that you call them to check and confirm availability.

The Expansion of Fibre Connectivity in South Africa

South Africa has seen significant growth in fibre connectivity in recent years, with the government and private companies investing heavily in laying fibre infrastructure across the country. There are now many fibre providers operating in South Africa, including Telkom, Vumatel, Openserve, Frogfoot, and Octotel, among others. These providers have laid fibre cables in many cities and towns across the country, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, and Bloemfontein.

One major development in improving South Africa’s fibre connectivity is the ongoing construction of the 2Africa undersea cable, which will connect South Africa to Europe, the Middle East, and other parts of Africa. The cable, which is expected to be completed in 2024, will have a total length of over 37,000 km and provide a capacity of up to 180 Tbps, significantly increasing the country’s international bandwidth. This development will not only improve internet connectivity for South Africans but also promote economic growth and development by attracting more investment in the country.

Which Parts of South Africa Have Fibre Internet?

Fibre internet is available in various parts of South Africa, with coverage expanding every year. As of 2024, fibre is available in most major cities and towns, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth, and Bloemfontein. However, the availability of fibre internet may vary depending on the location and the service provider. Some areas may have limited or no coverage, while others may have a wide range of fibre internet options to choose from. It’s important to check the fibre coverage map of different ISPs to see if the service is available in your area.

Fibre Coverage in Cape Town

Since 2014, Cape Town has made significant strides in providing high-speed broadband internet, with a combined length of over 800 kilometres of fibre optic cable already installed. Furthermore, there are currently 1717 free Wi-Fi zones in Cape Town city with the city’s vision for 2030 to provide affordable high-speed internet for every citizen.

The fibre networks in Cape Town vary by area, but you’ll find that three networks dominate here: OpenServe, Octotel, and Frogfoot. The most dominant network in Cape Town is OpenServe. While you’ll need to check your exact street address, the Openserve network is readily available in the Southern Suburbs including Constantia, Diep River, Tokai, Westlake Retreat, Grassy Park, Plumstead, Claremont, Kenilworth, Bishopscourt and Newlands.

Fibre Coverage in Johannesburg

There is a good connection to fibre internet in the neighbourhoods surrounding Johannesburg, including Bryanston, Woodmead, Sunning Hill, Ferndale, Parkton, and Northcliff. Some regions only have partial coverage, as you’ll discover. The Fourways Mall area, for instance, is not covered in the map below, only the Fourways Gardens Residential Estate. These regions’ two main networks, Vuma and Openserve, provide reasonably priced fibre bundles with download speeds ranging from 20 Mbps to 1000 Mbps per second. The centre of Rosebank is a little uneven, but the outlying neighbourhoods are generally fine (Melrose, Dunkeld, Parkwood and others).

Fibre Coverage in Durban

How Does Coverage Differ for Each Network?

Webafrica Fibre Coverage Map

Afrihost Fibre Coverage Map