In a recent press conference, Orange Mauritius announced its plan for accelerating FTTH deployment. Accelerate? The word is inappropriate. Let’s see why. I went on MyT La Fibre website to see by when will FTTH be available in my region.

2018… That’s like 3 years ahead. What can happen in the life of an IT Professional in the next years? Technologies may change, my tech needs will change. At a time when my friends in the towns are using 10Mbps, I have to limit myself at 1Mbps all while we both pay the same amount to the same Internet Service Provider.

No FTTH. Why?

Oh. I live at Providence, Quartier Militaire, Postcode 82601. Maybe that’s the issue. Telecom infrastructure in the rural region has always received least priority. Telecom companies will speak about Return On Investment while the same people are blind to realise that instead of all ISPs competing in the towns & spending millions in marketing, they could have invested in other regions where their competitors have least penetration. At least they could gain the market share.

A few weeks ago, a beverages lorry hit my telephone line and consequently I was deprived of telephone, Internet and IPTV for 5 days. There is not any other ISP who can provide me 1Mbps unlimited Internet connection at Rs 949 (or cheaper) per month. Therefore to the so-called technology experts who proclaim there are more than one Internet Service Providers in Mauritius, get this fact right. Providence is in Mauritius and I do not have any other ISP who can provide me a decent Internet connection.

There is only one Internet Service Provider in Mauritius and the rest are poor resellers.