Ex-Vodacom and SAA boss Vuyani Jarana unveils broadband company

Former Vodacom boss Vuyani Jarana has launched a broadband company, Ilitha Communications, that seeks to provide affordable internet.

As it is backed by two development finance institutions and Microsoft, Jarana says Ilitha Communications also launched its brand services in East London.

Jarana, the former CEO of Vodacom Business and South African Airways, has launched llitha Telecommunications, which promises affordable internet in underserved areas.

Local media reports indicate that Jarana said the company has funding support from the Industrial Development Corporation and Development Bank of Southern Africa.

“The speed at which the company is providing this connectivity through fibre is super-fast – much like the speed of light,” Jarana said per ITWeb.

“Initially our informal payoff line was ‘leave no person behind’, and consistent with this, and in providing the people who pay the most for data access to the internet, the name Ilitha was most fitting.”

Its entrance into the market comes as more companies and governments are increasingly seeking to connect underserviced areas.

“Government has been on record about its desire to lower the costs of data. At Ilitha Telecommunications, we have just started making that dream a reality,” added Jarana.

“We are not launching just another telco; our purpose goes beyond the internet. We can’t see why someone living in a township cannot also live in a smart city. To do this, we need to start with affordable unlimited internet.

“We know that the poorest South Africans pay the most for data in South Africa, as they cannot afford data contracts or bigger data bundles.”

According to Jarana, the company provides distinct fiber-to-the-home products with network access available in one-day, seven-day, and 30-day increments.

“Through our investment in Ilitha, we will connect humanity, create possibilities and change lives. The internet has become the most powerful engine for human development and reduction of inequality, hence access to affordable quality broadband has become a human rights issue,” says Jarana.

“We see our project going beyond what traditional telcos in South Africa have done all these years; we see the internet as a vehicle to create digital jobs in the townships.”

Just last week, Project Isizwe became the latest entity to unveil plans to provide affordable internet access in underserviced areas.

TooMuchWifi, another South African internet service provider, recently announced plans to expand the provision of affordable internet after receiving $1 million (roughly R16 million) to expedite operations.