Western Cape-based fibre network operator (FNO) Octotel has launched Octotel Business, a new B2B brand bringing its existing business connectivity services together under one proposition. The offering introduces Business Broadband, a new service for companies whose connectivity needs have outgrown standard shared fibre but do not require a fully dedicated connection, alongside Octotel’s existing Active Ethernet and Datacentre Interconnect services.
The next generation Business Broadband product is a first in the market, giving businesses an enterprise-grade connectivity service.
Octotel CEO, Trevor van Zyl, says the need for business connectivity is becoming less closely tied to the size of a company and more to what that business needs its connectivity to do.
“South African businesses are building increasingly sophisticated operations, and their connectivity needs are changing with them. We’ve spent the past 10 years building and operating a network, and Octotel Business is about using that experience to give businesses the infrastructure they need to grow and compete,” says van Zyl.
Annelee Le Grange, Head of Octotel Business, explains: “The question is how you want to run your business and what is important.
“What level of critical systems, support and connectivity do you actually require?” For example, a boutique trading platform or a small creative agency working with large files, cloud applications and international clients can have more demanding connectivity requirements than a larger business whose operations are less dependent on connectivity.
Business Broadband is built on Octotel’s Gigabit Passive Optical Network (XGS – PON) and gives businesses a step up from standard shared connectivity, with a defined service commitment and faster response and repair times than shared services.
It sits between standard shared GPON/ Fibre to the Business (FTTB) services and dedicated Active Ethernet, giving businesses a new option without requiring the infrastructure and cost of a fully dedicated connection.
A new option for growing connectivity requirements
Le Grange says the product came from identifying a gap between the two existing options: FTTB and Active Ethernet.
“We saw a clear gap in the market: businesses that need more support than standard services provide, but don’t require a fully dedicated connection.
“They need better support and closer alignment to dedicated capacity, at a price that makes sense for their business,” she says.
The distinction is largely around the level of service and configuration attached to the connection. Standard FTTB services operate on a best-effort basis, while Active Ethernet provides dedicated connectivity with a higher level of support. Business Broadband offers a defined service commitment for businesses that need more than a standard shared service, without moving straight to a fully dedicated connection.
Business Broadband offers speeds of up to 10GBPS and is available through selected ISP partners. The service is initially available in the Western Cape, where Octotel has its strongest footprint with more than 30 000 businesses passed.
Bringing existing capabilities together
While Business Broadband is a new service, the broader proposition also brings together Active Ethernet and Datacentre Interconnect, which Octotel has already been providing to business customers and ISP partners.
“These are not new products, but a new bundling, positioning, and a new approach built in an environment and on a network that has proven itself over the last decade,” says Le Grange.
“We’ve been doing FTTB, Active Ethernet and Datacentre Interconnect for 10 years, but now we are packaging existing capabilities differently around business requirements.
The proposition is built on Octotel’s existing network and operational capability.
The company owns and operates its fibre infrastructure and keeps network support in-house, with teams responsible for operating and maintaining the network.
Octotel retained the highest overall rating among the eight largest FNOs in ISPA’s February 2026 FNO perception survey.
For Octotel, the launch represents a broader shift in how it takes its business connectivity capabilities to market.
Rather than treating each service as a standalone product, Octotel Business gives ISP partners a way to build connectivity around the different requirements of their business customers.
“We are moving from pure connectivity to enabling critical digital infrastructure,” says van Zyl.
“Our journey starts with connectivity, and it ends with being a digital infrastructure partner.”
The longer-term ambition is to build on this infrastructure capability as businesses and their connectivity requirements become more complex.
