“We believe that Bolt‚ as the fastest person in the world‚ will assist us in creating awareness of the speed‚ consistency and reliability that fibre technology offers‚” Telkom’s Chief Marketing Officer‚ Enzo Scarcella‚ said in a statement announcing the partnership.

Telkom did not disclose how much it is paying the superstar athlete.

Bolt is regarded as the fastest person in history and the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these events and the first man to win six gold medals in sprinting.

Telkom‚ which aims to reach one million homes with fibre by 2018‚ filmed Bolt in his home country of Jamaica for the campaign. Bolt thanked his many South African fans for their ongoing support.

Fibre to the home currently allows for download speeds of up to 100Mbps‚ allowing users to download a standard definition 4.7GB video in under seven minutes. An entire music album can be downloaded in eight seconds.

Fibre optic cables transmit light and are not affected by interference from electromagnetic noise such as radios‚ motors‚ power lines‚ electric fences or other cables‚ offering greater reliability.



ANA/AFP