Connectivity. Redefined
Business connectivity solutions for South African businesses.
Find the right connection
Five ways FirstNet keeps your business connected. Start with what you need. We will design the right mix of links behind it.
Also in Connectivity: Direct Peering with Microsoft & AWS · Carrier-Grade ISP Infrastructure · Fibre Connectivity · Wireless Connectivity · Dedicated Internet Access · Bonded Connectivity with Peplink
Why FirstNet connectivity
Many businesses struggle with links from several commodity ISPs. Each ISP is responsible only for its own line.
- This leaves gaps in who is accountable and adds risk to your operations.
- FirstNet is your single, accountable connectivity partner.
- We design end-to-end networks to match your goals, the risk you can take and your financial priorities.
- We focus on outcomes: uptime, performance, resilience and predictability.
We combine access technologies, smart network design, built-in security and proactive support. This makes things simpler and delivers business value you can measure.
Your IT team gets visibility and control. Your finance managers get lower risk and running costs they can predict.
Credentials you can rely on
FirstNet is one accountable provider. We are licensed and certified, and we deliver new business links across South Africa every month.
- 5,000+ business sites under management
- 300+ new business links delivered every month
- ICASA-licensed ECS and ECNS provider
- ISO 27001 (information security) and ISO 9001 (quality) certified
- B-BBEE Level 1 contributor
The details
The right last mile, site by siteWe build each site with the best mix of fibre, microwave, fixed wireless, LTE/5G and LEO satellite.
The right last mile, site by site
We are carrier- and medium-agnostic. We build each site with the best mix of fibre, microwave, fixed wireless, LTE/5G and LEO satellite. We choose on coverage, performance and resilience. Where fibre is not possible, we work through licensed options in a set order. That way each site gets a practical, compliant answer.
Fibre
Our default main link for fixed sites. Symmetric or asymmetric, and uncapped. Dedicated, uncontended options for critical sites.
Licensed microwave
Point-to-point or point-to-multipoint radio for fixed sites with no fibre. It also works as an air-path backup that does not share the fibre trench.
Fixed wireless (FWA / Fixed 5G)
Packaged fixed wireless access for fixed sites. We deliver it over fixed 5G or approved partner platforms.
LTE/5G wireless
Carrier-agnostic mobile broadband for fast go-live, temporary sites and failover. Often live in a few working days.
LEO satellite
Licensed low-Earth-orbit satellite via Eutelsat OneWeb. For remote sites where no ground-based option fits.
Designs matched to your riskWhat happens if your internet is down for two hours, or a full day?
Designs matched to your risk
We start with one question. What happens if your internet is down for two hours, or a full day? The answer sets the design.
Single primary link
For non-critical sites where some downtime is fine and you accept the risk.
Primary plus diverse backup
Our default for sites that affect revenue. Fibre paired with microwave, FWA or LTE for fast failover.
Dual fibre, different carriers
A second fibre line on a different carrier network, ideally on a separate physical route. You get high bandwidth and carrier redundancy.
SD-WAN underlay
Two diverse FirstNet links per site, usually one fibre and one wireless. An SD-WAN overlay runs on top.
Temporary wireless first
We set up LTE in days so you can open on time. Your main fibre link is built at the same time.
Why connectivity is business-criticalMost businesses don’t struggle because they lack internet access.
Business-critical connectivity for modern organisations
Most businesses don’t struggle because they lack internet access. They struggle because their connectivity is unreliable,
fragmented, and not designed for the way modern organisations operate.
- Commodity internet services deliver a line and leave you to manage performance, risk and integration.
- Many providers, uneven performance, little visibility and weak redundancy all lead to downtime, lost productivity and operational risk.
Connectivity is no longer just about getting online. It is the foundation of how a modern business runs. Every cloud platform, SaaS app, voice system, security service and digital workflow depends on it. That connectivity must be stable, fast, actively managed and aligned to business outcomes.
At FirstNet, we design and manage enterprise-grade networks built for South African businesses. Unlike commodity ISPs, we take responsibility for how your connectivity performs in the real world. We combine business internet access with:
Why connectivity is business-critical
In a modern business, how well your connection performs drives productivity, customer experience and financial results.
Businesses rely more and more on digital platforms and real-time access to data. The cloud has moved apps, storage and infrastructure away from on-premise systems. So network performance now directly drives user experience, productivity and financial results.
- Poor connectivity is more than a minor nuisance. It can stop operations, delay transactions and hit revenue.
- Remote and hybrid work make reliable connectivity even more important.
- Staff now log in to company systems from many places. They often use VPNs, cloud security platforms and collaboration tools that need steady bandwidth and low latency.
- When no one manages the connection, problems are often found only after they hurt the business.
- SaaS apps such as ERP, CRM, accounting and industry-specific software all run over the network.
- A slower network affects transaction speed, system uptime and customer experience.
- For finance managers, this means lost productivity, late billing and higher running costs.
- Real-time tools like voice, video calls and collaboration apps are very sensitive to packet loss, latency and jitter.
- Without smart network design and traffic priority, these tools become unreliable and costly to support.
- For multi-site businesses, connectivity is the glue. It joins branches, head office, data centres and cloud platforms into one working whole.
So business-critical connectivity is not just about speed. It is about reliability, resilience and managed risk.
FirstNet keeps your business connected
Connectivity for South African businesses
- South African businesses face unique connectivity challenges.
- Last-mile access varies by region. Service quality differs between providers, and repair times are hard to predict.
- Relying on one provider puts your business at needless risk.
- A good connectivity plan uses several providers, separate physical routes and extra technologies such as wireless backup.
- This cuts the financial and operational impact of outages.
- Sites spread across metro, regional and rural areas make network design harder.
- Steady performance needs provider-agnostic design, central management and active monitoring.
- Where fibre build-out is not possible in hard-to-reach parts of South Africa, LEO satellite is a practical option. It can connect remote branches, depots, farms and project sites.
FirstNet tackles this by building resilient networks that use more than one provider. They put uptime, performance and room to grow first. We judge the result by how well it manages your business risk, not just the price of the line.
FirstNet connectivity built for modern business
Types of business connectivityEach type of connection meets different needs for performance, coverage and resilience.
Types of business connectivity
Reliable. Resilient. Connected.
Each type of connection meets different needs for performance, coverage and resilience.
Fibre Connectivity
Fibre is the main link for most businesses. It offers high speeds, low latency and stable performance.
Business-grade fibre comes with service level agreements, capacity that can grow and predictable performance. But fibre alone does not remove business risk. Last-mile failures, provider outages and congestion still happen. Managed fibre deals with this by adding redundancy, monitoring and performance management.
Wireless Connectivity
Wireless plays a key role in keeping your business running and cutting risk. LTE and 5G are often used as backup links, as temporary links for new sites, or as the main link where there is no fibre.
As part of a managed network, wireless gives you fast failover and geographic diversity. This cuts downtime and protects revenue.
LEO satellite connectivity
Connect beyond the limits of the ground.
Sometimes fibre isn't possible, mobile coverage is weak or a site needs to go live fast. Then Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite is a practical, business-grade option. FirstNet combines LEO with fibre, LTE/5G, SD-WAN and security in one managed network. It suits remote, temporary and hard-to-reach sites. LEO can be your main link, a separate backup path or part of a resilient multi-link network.
Eutelsat OneWeb powers it and FirstNet manages it. So your satellite connection is more than a link. It becomes part of your infrastructure.
SD - WAN
Software‑Defined Wide Area Networking lets you manage several links across your sites in a smart way. SD‑WAN routes traffic on the fly. It works from what each app needs, how each link performs and your business rules.
Critical apps get priority and users get a better experience. Both technical and financial decision-makers get clear visibility.
Why businesses need managed connectivity
Reliable. Resilient. Connected.
- Running business connectivity is getting harder.
- Commodity ISPs usually deliver access only. Your own team must juggle several providers, performance issues, fixing faults and aligning security.
- With managed connectivity, a specialist partner takes responsibility for how your network performs.
- Proactive monitoring spots slowdowns before users feel them. Coordinated support cuts downtime and time to fix.
- Unlike traditional ISPs that watch single lines, FirstNet monitors your whole network as one, across providers, sites, and applications
- For finance managers, this means predictable running costs and less risk.
- Security is also inseparable from connectivity.
- Firewalls, segmentation, secure access and traffic control must fit the network design.
- Managed services make sure these controls are set up the same way across sites and providers.
- Above all, managed connectivity gives you accountability.
You get one owner for performance, resilience and optimisation. Connectivity stops being a technical cost and becomes a managed business asset. Find out where your connectivity risk lies.
Connectivity we provide
Reliable. Resilient. Connected.
Business Fibre Connectivity
Business Fibre ConnectivityWireless Connectivity And Backup
Wireless Connectivity And BackupLEO Satellite Connectivity
LEO Satellite ConnectivitySD-WAN Solutions
SD-WAN SolutionsModern Network (Managed SD-WAN +..
Modern Network (Managed SD-WAN +..Redundancy and Resilience Design
Redundancy and Resilience DesignProactive Network Monitoring and Support
Proactive Network Monitoring and SupportMonitoring, service levels and multi-site networksContinuous monitoring shows you performance trends, enabling early action and less downtime.
Network performance & reliability
Reliable. Resilient. Connected.
- Reliable connectivity is defined by more than uptime.
- Latency, jitter and packet loss directly affect how apps perform and how productive users are.
- Quality of Service and traffic shaping give business-critical apps priority when the network is busy.
- Encryption for data at rest and in transit (AES-256 / TLS).
- Redundancy plans include diverse access links, automatic failover and smart traffic routing.
Continuous monitoring shows you performance trends, enabling early action and less downtime.
Proactive monitoring, accountability & support
FirstNet monitors business networks 24×7. We aim to spot performance issues before they affect users or operations. We watch real-world measures, not just whether a line is up. These include latency, packet loss, jitter, link usage and how applications behave.
We oversee networks from a central monitoring platform. A dedicated Network Operations team is responsible for:
Continuous Performance Monitoring
Across All Access
Links And Sites
Early Detection
Of Degradation And Emerging Faults
Automated Alerting And Escalation
When Performance Thresholds Are Breached
Coordinated Fault Management
Across Multiple Service Providers And Technologies
Service levels, escalation & ownership
Our managed connectivity comes with defined service levels. They set clear expectations for availability, response and restoration. These commitments are designed to cut downtime and give you predictable results.
FirstNet owns connectivity performance end to end. We are your single escalation point across all the underlying providers. You don't have to coordinate between several ISPs. Faults are resolved faster. And we are accountable for the outcome, not just for individual access lines.
The result is faster fault fixing, a better Mean Time to Restore (MTTR) and lower operational risk. Proactive monitoring, structured escalation and a single accountable partner back this up.
- 24×7 Network Monitoring
- Defined Service Levels & Escalation Paths
- Multi-Provider Fault Coordination
- Single Point Of Accountability
Multi-Site Connectivity
- Multi-site businesses need steady connectivity between branches, head office and cloud platforms.
- Central policy control, secure traffic between sites and optimised cloud access cut complexity and cost.
- SD‑WAN and managed routing let your network grow with your business. You keep visibility, control and predictable performance.
Some branches are in hard-to-reach areas where fibre or LTE/5G coverage is limited. There, we can add LEO satellite as an extra underlay link. This gives more options and better resilience.
Cloud Connectivity
Cybersecurity
Unified Communication
Multi-Site Network Design
We design and run multi-provider business connectivity across fibre, wireless and cloud. We are accountable for it end to end. We manage the outcome, not just the access line.
The result is reliable business connectivity that can scale. It is built to cut operational risk, protect revenue and support long-term growth. Proactive monitoring, expert support and a single accountable partner back it up.
Industries we serveFirstNet supports businesses with many branches, regions and environments.
Industries we serve
FirstNet supports businesses with many branches, regions and environments. For them, steady connectivity, visibility and control are critical every day. We link branches over a WAN that spans several service providers and access types (fibre, wireless, MPLS). You manage it all through one central network monitoring and management portal.
Retail Organisations
Healthcare
Logistics And Distribution
Financial Services
Manufacturing And Industrial
In every industry, FirstNet delivers unified WAN management, multi-provider resilience and end-to-end visibility. You can run with confidence at scale and cut operational and financial risk.
Watch: Turn guest Wi-Fi into customer insightIf you already offer free Wi-Fi, make it work for you.
Watch: Turn guest Wi‑Fi into customer insight
If you already offer free Wi-Fi, make it work for you. With Purple WiFi, guests log in through a branded portal instead of a password on the wall.
- Capture customer details at login
- Understand visit patterns and dwell time
- Gather feedback
- Run targeted marketing campaigns
Greg, FirstNet
Read the transcript
You know what amazes me? Businesses spend thousands on marketing, social media, websites and Google ads, then offer free Wi-Fi to hundreds of customers every month and collect absolutely nothing from it. Every person connecting to your guest Wi-Fi is telling you: I'm right here, right now, in your business. And most companies just give away internet and wave goodbye. That's where Purple WiFi comes in. Instead of a boring Wi-Fi password on a wall, customers log in through a branded portal. You can capture customer details, understand visit patterns, measure dwell time, gather feedback and even run targeted marketing campaigns. Suddenly your Wi-Fi isn't just Wi-Fi. It's customer intelligence, it's marketing, it's business insight. And if you're paying for guest Wi-Fi anyway, why not let it work for you? I'm Greg from FirstNet, and honestly, in 2026 free Wi-Fi with zero insight feels a bit like leaving money on the table.
Cost of business connectivity
- Weigh the cost of connectivity against your business risk.
- Downtime impacts revenue, productivity, & customer trust.
- The true cost of connectivity includes lost chances, recovery effort and harm to your reputation.
- Spending on redundancy and managed services greatly cuts the financial hit of outages.
Good connectivity design balances cost, performance and resilience. It does not look at the access price alone.
Connectivity questions
Straight answers from the FirstNet team.
Read every answer in the Knowledge HubWhat connectivity is best for business?
The best choice depends on the performance you need, the apps you use and the risk you can accept.
Do I need redundancy?
Redundancy is a must for any business where downtime hurts revenue or operations.
What is SD‑WAN?
SD‑WAN is a smart way to manage several network links. It boosts performance and resilience.
How reliable is fibre?
Fibre is very reliable. But you still need managed redundancy to cover last-mile failures.
What’s the difference between an SLA and MTTR?
An SLA (Service Level Agreement) is the service promise, for example uptime, response time and resolution targets. MTTR (Mean Time to Repair/Restore) is the average time it takes to restore service after a fault.
Why do SLA and MTTR matter to the business?
The SLA sets expectations and accountability. MTTR shows how quickly you recover from outages. Together they show how exposed you are to downtime. They also help you measure the impact on productivity, customer experience and revenue risk.
How do you decide which technology a site gets?
We check fibre first. If fibre is not possible, we look at licensed microwave, then fixed wireless (FWA / Fixed 5G), then LTE/5G. LEO satellite is the last resort. For temporary or mobile sites we lead with LTE/5G, because it is the fastest to deploy.
Can my primary and backup links be on different networks?
Yes. We are carrier-agnostic, so we can pair links from different carriers and media. For example, fibre with microwave or LTE. That way, one network's outage does not become your outage.
Who do I contact when something goes wrong?
Log a ticket with our support centre at support@firstnet.co.za or on the support portal. Our NOC deals with the underlying carrier for you. Escalations go through your Service Manager.
Will you work with our existing firewall or SD-WAN?
Yes. We hand off Ethernet from our managed router. Your firewall or SD-WAN device connects behind it. We confirm VLAN tagging and IP scheme needs during design.
What does carrier-neutral business connectivity mean?
Carrier-neutral means you are not tied to one network operator or one technology. FirstNet's reach spans every major fibre network operator and mobile network operator in South Africa. We build each site with the best mix of fibre, microwave, LTE/5G, fixed wireless and LEO satellite. We choose on coverage, performance, resilience and cost. Where resilience matters, we layer links from diverse carriers. That way, one network's outage does not become your outage.
Is FirstNet a licensed internet service provider in South Africa?
Yes. ICASA licenses FirstNet as an Electronic Communications Service (ECS) and Electronic Communications Network Service (ECNS) provider. This lets us deploy, manage and resell network services across the country. We buy last-mile access only from ICASA-licensed operators. These are licensed fibre network operators, licensed mobile network operators and licensed wireless operators using approved spectrum. FirstNet is also ISO 27001 and ISO 9001 certified and a B-BBEE Level 1 contributor. All routers and antennas we install must be ICASA type-approved.
Does FirstNet handle connectivity customer data in line with POPIA?
Yes. FirstNet handles customer data in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). We also follow our ISO 27001-certified information security management system. It covers security governance, risk management, change control, monitoring and incident response, all under audit. Do you need specific regulatory or POPIA wording in a contract? Our product and legal teams review it first, rather than agreeing on the spot. That way the commitment matches what the service really delivers.
Why use a managed connectivity provider instead of buying circuits from each carrier?
A managed provider gives you one point of accountability, not several vendors to juggle. With FirstNet, one contract covers every site and link under one service level. Our 24/7 Network Operations Centre is one phone number for every issue. Real-time monitoring and automatic failover often restore service before users notice. We also handle changes centrally, such as security upgrades, routing tweaks or new site cut-ins. You avoid the delays and finger-pointing of managing four or five providers at once.
What business outcomes should business connectivity be measured on?
Judge connectivity by business outcomes, not circuits or carriers. FirstNet designs for four. Uptime comes from engineered resilience and multi-carrier design, not best effort. Steady latency comes from direct peering and uncongested paths, so cloud and voice feel close to a local network. Lower risk comes from true diversity, so one outage rarely becomes a business incident. Simpler operations come from one vendor and one accountable team, so IT spends less time managing providers.
How should I compare business internet quotes from different providers?
Compare like for like, not just the monthly cost. Check each quote for these points. Is there a written uptime SLA with service credits? Can a backup link go on a different network? Is the router managed and monitored? Is there 24x7 monitoring and a clear support and escalation path? Cheaper offers often leave out the things you only notice when something breaks. So ask each provider to list what is included, side by side.
Where connectivity fits
- Sovereign AI AI that stays home, in every layer.
- Voice Every call, clear.
- Security Threats, contained.
- Cloud Data, protected.
- Connectivity Always connected.
Enriched by Sovereign AI: reach the AI Factory over FirstNet’s own network, with a direct, low-latency path that stays on South African soil. Explore the AI Factory