The phrase “at the time of writing” could scarcely have been more pertinent while we were putting together this edition of Converging Communications. Cables landing all around us, legislations fluctuating, new players entering the market and old players reinventing themselves – the last few months have been torrid for South Africa’s telecoms sector, and keeping on top of it takes some doing.

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup on the horizon and T elkom’s divestment of Vodacom, the telecoms landscape in South Africa is enjoying as much of a rollercoaster ride as ever. From carrier pre-select and Local Loop Unbundling, co-location, new players and new cables, perhaps the only really predictable thing in this sector is that there won’t be any shortage of bones of contention.

The expectation around the landing of telecoms cables is not just about Seacom, though – Seacom is simply the start of a series of important connectivity projects not just in South Africa, but across the African continent. The result is effectively a completely new telecoms landscape.

While it remains to be seen whether or not recent developments will at last steer convergence into the reach of both consumer and business markets, the reality is that convergence is well and truly here, ready or not. Africa is the fastest-growing mobile market in the world, which in itself will surely drive the roll-out of the kinds of services and technologies that consumers in Asia, Europe and the Americas take for granted.  

Janet Paterson

Consulting Editor: ITWeb Informatica