Bruce Phillips, Rondebosch
The installation of a fibre network in the southern suburbs is both chaotic and lacking any communication from all parties involved – both from the City council, and from the various installers.
The verge outside our house provides a good example. As indeed, does the entire neighbourhood. It has been re-visited three times in the past few months. What was once a pleasing garden, the grassed verge has been dug up each time, and scoured by various vehicle, and equipment traffic. What remains is a thick surface layer of sand, interspersed with tar and rubble. Tree branches have been broken, and left lying. There has been no attempt to “restore”, as was indicated in the installer’s glossy brochure.
At no time has anyone contacted us to tell us what is happening, and why such devastation is needed – three times. The position of the receiver (grey box) was also not open to discussion.
If I did not want an improved network, I would tell all involved to “shove it”.
Eddie Andrews, Mayoral committee member for area south, responds:
A number of ICASA electronic communications network licensees are installing infrastructure across Cape Town for the provision of fast broadband internet.
The City requires the various licensees to appoint a civil engineering consultant to monitor the construction work to ensure that all affected areas are restored, in accordance with the City’s standards and requirements.
The City of Cape Town is not responsible for the planning, design and implementation of fibre-optic networks for the various ICASA electronic communications network licensees. We do, however, plan, design and implement our own fibre-optic networks.
The City has recently compiled and issued a standard process and specifications to network licensees on the installation of telecommunication services in road reserves. This document serves to address the inconsistency in the standard of workmanship between the various network licensees when installing these services.
The City encourages network licensees to co-build and trench share wherever possible, but this is subject to each network licensee’s own business models and roll-out plan.
The various network licensees are required to obtain way-leaves from affected service authorities as well as a permit to work within the City of Cape Town’s road reserves.
