GEORGE NEWS - Several Garden Route residents have recently raised concerns over poor internet service, particularly fibre connections.
Fibre infrastructure in the region is provided by companies such as Openserve (a subsidiary of Telkom), Octotel and Frogfoot, with Openserve covering most of the area. Internet service providers (ISPs) rely on this infrastructure, while mobile networks operate via towers managed by Vodacom, Telkom and MTN.
Previously, mobile connections were frequently disrupted by load-shedding, which drained the batteries powering cell towers.
More recently, however, fibre users from Wilderness to Sedgefield and beyond have experienced major interruptions, primarily caused by vandalism.
In an incident that occurred in Paradise Street, Knysna, on 16 September, some poles were cut down and fibre lines were severed. The motive remains unclear, as fibre cables contain no copper or other valuable materials and cannot be resold.
Another incident occurred on the morning of 9 October at the corner of the N2 and George Rex Road in Knysna. A member of the public reported some suspicious activity. Allsound Security's officers discovered three individuals inside a manhole, cutting fibre cables. The suspects were detained until the police arrived and took them into custody, along with the tools reportedly used in the attempted theft.
Arrests made by Allsound Security on the corner of the N2 and George Rex Road in Knysna on 9 October, as well as the tools that were seized. Photo: Allsound Security
Some technicians suggested that the ongoing roadworks on the N2, particularly near the Kaaimans Pass, might have contributed to disruptions.
This claim has been refuted by both the road agency Sanral and Openserve, who stated that vandalism to fibre cables has been identified as a key factor affecting connectivity.
Openserve confirmed the interruptions through its public relations agency. "We have experienced several service interruptions over the past few months that affected our customers. All were caused by acts of theft and vandalism to our fibre infrastructure network.
To mitigate the impact, we are working with network security partners and the police, leading to multiple arrests in October. In addition, Openserve is enhancing security measures to preserve our fibre infrastructure."
Despite these efforts, ISPs often face frustration from customers over issues beyond their control.
Many argue that better communication from infrastructure providers like Openserve would help ISPs inform their clients about outages. Openserve has acknowledged this concern and committed to improving communications with clients.
As fibre networks become increasingly vital for work and daily life, Patrick Ehlers, a resident of Kleinkrantz, said he hopes ongoing security enhancements and improved communication will reduce disruptions and restore reliable connectivity across the Garden Route.
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