Before the building of the fibre network can start companies like ourselves need to engage with local authorities for the required permissions to build in the area, permissions in the form of Wayleaves. This is an extremely time-consuming process and during this process, all planning, BOQ and splicing diagrams need to be done with no guarantee that the wayleaves will be issued. Material is the biggest risk for most companies and a build and transfer model eliminates the risk for the end buyer or the FNO (fibre network operator) who will own the network once complete. While wayleaves etc are being awarded we need to focus on Community engagements as this is an essential factor in the success of the building phase. Local SMME’s work allocations can also prove to be very difficult and time-consuming if undertaken incorrectly. Once all of the above is in place, the ground can be broken. Any network regardless of the method being used takes time and will be uncomfortable for the residents, however, this is a short-term problem that can be managed and dealt with very effectively when handled by the right teams.
On Transfer
The transfer part of the process can be dealt with very swiftly and easily if all the negotiations that were done prior to the build starting are adhered to and the civils team and FNO work well together. So far we have been extremely blessed with amazing clients and the build and transfer process has worked well. However, if you are not using a reputable company or your negotiations are not upheld a transfer process can get very complicated and it is an expensive exercise to start operating or just holding on to the now completed network for the time needed to find a new buyer. We as MTD pride ourselves on our work and once the transfer is complete we maintain the network in a way that will take some of the pressure off our clients for a short period of time.
