It was just yesterday when we were talking about the excitement surrounding satellite internet, especially the low-earth orbit kind that Starlink and OneWeb offer, and how some mistakenly think fibre internet has no place in the future of Zimbabwe because of it.
Fibre will always have a place, as there are plenty of applications that satellite internet just isn’t suited for. Today, we talk about one fibre player some of you are aware of – DFA Zimbabwe.
We have talked about them a few times:
- POTRAZ Grants Internet Access Provider DFA Licence To Operate Locally
- Dark Fibre launches network that should help lower internet costs whilst improving speed and reliability in Zimbabwe
The company has been operating in the country for about three years but was launched in 2007 in South Africa. You may not have been aware of their presence because of the kind of customers they served.
DFA has been operating on a wholesale basis, which meant they were mostly serving mobile network operators (MNOs) and internet service providers (ISPs).
Remember, DFA Zimbabwe built a fibre network, i.e., they laid fibre cables underground. The last update on that network was when they launched one that stretches over 1,500 kilometers throughout Zimbabwe, connecting Harare, Bulawayo, and Victoria Falls, and linking the country to South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, and Mozambique.
They then rented out the use of their cables (and related infrastructure) to the MNOs and ISPs. Those customers (channel partners) of theirs were then free to use the service or resell it to their own customers.
So, some of you were getting internet service from Company A, but the service was utilising DFA’s network. Those aren’t details you necessarily cared about, and so you were never told.
You have seen this before between ZOL and Liquid Telecom, as we knew them back then. ZOL was an ISP and was one of Liquid’s customers, utilising Liquid’s fibre infrastructure. Liquid then acquired ZOL back in 2012, and they have been joined at the hip since.
There are some differences, but it helps to think of DFA as being in a situation similar to the one Liquid was in before the ZOL acquisition.
Liquid acquired ZOL to get into the ISP game. With the ZOL acquisition, they moved from primarily serving ISPs and MNOs to serving businesses and individuals too.
DFA is similarly moving from primarily serving ISPs and MNOs to serving enterprise clients. They say they will now be serving both large and small businesses.
Serving them with what?
DFA Services
Dark fibre
If you had forgotten, dark fibre refers to unused fibre that is available for lease. The one who leases it needs their own equipment to transmit data.
This is what MNOs and ISPs like. They get to lease the unused fibre and manage their own network using their own equipment. It’s the laying of fibre underground bit that they don’t like.
DFA gives the example of connecting base stations and points of presence to core networks and mobile switching centres as an application.
So, this won’t be a solution for small businesses. However, large enterprises, data centres, and organisations with high data transmission needs and technical expertise to manage their own networks can also utilise dark fibre.
Managed/LIT services
Here, DFA will manage the network for users. Instead of dark fibre, this is called lit fibre because DFA supplies and manages the equipment needed to transmit data over the fibre.
This is what we are most used to. Customers then get packages that include data transmission services, bandwidth, and other network management features.
The target customers for these services are businesses that require high-bandwidth core network connectivity. The applications that DFA cites are more familiar; cloud computing, enterprise resource planning, video conferencing, and similar needs.
Businesses that are geographically dispersed will also benefit from long-distance service. Large businesses with multiple branches in different cities can make use of this.
International private leased circuit
For businesses that are spread out over multiple countries, DFA will “connect offices, branches, and subsidiaries around the world.”
They also allow businesses to host regional websites and services, among other things.
Internet services
This is where our small businesses come in. DFA now has broadband internet products aimed at SMEs, retail businesses, or any business, really. They even say their broadband services are suitable for some individuals.
The applications are what you would expect: basic operations like web browsing, email, cloud applications, and everything small businesses need the internet for.
For businesses that are heavily reliant on cloud applications for daily operations, there is also the option to get dedicated internet access. DFA says it delivers high-performance, secure real-time connections for a seamless cloud experience.
Satellite internet
Before you get too excited, DFA is not using the low-earth orbit satellite tech that the likes of Starlink and OneWeb are using, for now. It’s the old VSAT we are used to. At the conclusion of 2023, DFA reported that they had connected over 1200 schools and clinics using VSAT.
However, DFA says they are working on partnering with a low-earth orbit provider just like Liquid and TelOne did. So, expect them to offer the same kind of service in the future.
Prices
Fibre
The part we were waiting for. How much does all this cost for us regular folks?
When it comes to fibre, DFA has a few unlimited packages:
- $97 for unlimited data at 25Mbps
- $135 for unlimited data at 50Mbps
- $170 for unlimited data at 100Mbps
Installation costs $285.
As you can see, although it is marketed towards businesses and high-net-worth individuals, anyone who is a fibre user can access this.
For comparison, Liquid is running a promotion that offers a $99 unlimited package at 75Mbps. Those are significantly faster speeds for $2 more. The only caveat is that Liquid’s is a promotional package, but they say it will run for an indefinite period.
So, it appears unlimited fibre data plans can now be had for less than 3 figures in Zimbabwe. This is a welcome development. This is why I believe Liquid won’t end that promotion; it will simply become the standard.
If you were wondering how that stacks up against first-world countries, in the U.S., fibre plans cost between $50 and $300 for download speeds of 100-1000Mbps. So, Zimbabwe is slowly starting to make sense.
As you would imagine, when it comes to fibre, we don’t have 100% coverage in the country. So, most neighbourhoods in most towns won’t have coverage. You can check with DFA to see if your neighbourhood is covered.
VSAT
If you’re interested in VSAT packages instead, here is how it looks. They say the most popular packages include:
- 20GB at up to 25Mbps for $65
- 30GB at up to 25Mbps for $81
- Unlimited data at 5Mbps for $155
The VSAT equipment will cost $350, and additional installation fees will apply based on the survey.
This is why VSAT was never really an option for individuals. It’s expensive for what you get. However, it was the only viable option for remote locations, and so DFA connected over 1200 schools and clinics using it.
I think this part will be disrupted by the low-earth orbit tech, which offers faster speeds, lower latency, and lower subscription costs (although equipment costs, in DFA’s case at least, favour VSAT).
It’s a good thing, then, that DFA joins Liquid and TelOne in partnering other companies to offer low-earth orbit offerings.
Competition is good
Make no mistake about it, at the moment, Liquid remains the biggest fish in the pond. They have the largest fibre network and the most customers.
However, there is enough cake for everyone in the fibre game, and DFA has a place. There are still plenty of areas without fibre coverage.
I am curious to see if the popularity of satellite internet will lead to lower investment in fibre networks. I hope that won’t be the case; we need both options in as many places as possible. However, realistically, we are likely to see only minor fibre network upgrades going forward.
It will be a hard sell to investors and shareholders to invest millions in fibre when viable alternatives are becoming more accessible.
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