THE optical fibre research expertise of Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) is being recognised through the establishment of the new Centre for Broadband Communication – a key vehicle in shaping South Africa’s Internet connectivity going forward.
Nowhere will NMMU’s role be more noticeable than at the world’s largest science project, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), as optical fibre forms “the backbone” for aggregating tremendous amounts of data gathered from what will be the world’s largest radio telescope.
Department of Science and Technology (DST) Minister Naledi Pandor will formalise a key partnership with NMMU, the National Research Foundation (NRF), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), SKA and Cisco when the Centre is officially launched at NMMU on 26 March.
Along with the key partnership which broadly aims to improve national competitiveness in the global economy through improved science and technology solutions, NMMU will receive state-of-the-art research equipment valued at about R45m from Cisco. NMMU researchers and students will also collaborate closely with Cisco scientists on key research topics. Cisco is recognised as a worldwide leader in IT, committed to “connecting the previously unconnected”.
In essence, this is what NMMU is aiming to achieve through their research into new generation optical fibre communication as a faster, cheaper, more suitable alternative to the present ADSL broadband connectivity.
The seriousness with which Government views the importance of the broadband roll-out to all South Africans by 2020 was highlighted in the recent Budget where R1.1bn is being invested.
“Access to the internet should be like your access to water and air – something that you don’t even have to think about. If we want to be globally competitive we need to ensure that our telecommunications network is on par,” says NMMU head of the Fibre Optics Unit Prof Tim Gibbon.
NMMU plays an integral role in South Africa’s Big Data science project, the SKA, as it is reliant on next-generation optical fibre communication systems to transmitting terabits of data over thousands of kilometres.
“The partnership with the DST and CISCO is a tremendous coup for NMMU and the Eastern Cape, and an exciting opportunity to produce South Africa’s newest optical communication scientists,” says Prof Gibbon.