What Is a Network?
A Telecommunications Network is a group of nodes interconnected by telecommunications links that are used to exchange messages between the nodes. The links may use a variety of technologies based on the methodologies of circuit switching, message switching, or packet switching, to pass messages and signals.
Multiple nodes may cooperate to pass the message from an originating node to the destination node, via multiple network hops. For this routing function, each node in the network is assigned a network address for identification and locating on the network. The collection of addresses in the network is called the address space of the network.
Examples of telecommunications networks include computer networks, the Internet, the public switched telephone network (PSTN), the global Telex network, the aeronautical ACARS network, and the wireless radio networks of cell phone telecommunication providers.
List Of Richest Network In South Africa?
South Africa’s biggest JSE-listed telecommunications companies have a combined value of over half a trillion rand.
The tussle for the top telecoms dog involves the two biggest mobile networks in the country Vodacom and MTN.
These heavyweights account for the vast majority of the telecoms industry’s market capitalization and have been trading places as the most valuable telecoms company over the past few years.
Vodacom has the largest number of customers in South Africa, reporting 44.23 million by the end of March 2023. South Africa is also Vodacom’s biggest market.
However, it has a smaller footprint than MTN across the continent.
Although MTN’s local subscriber base trailed Vodacom’s at 35.92 million by March 2023, most of its customers were in other African countries.
MTN had 254.71 million subscribers across the rest of Africa and its Middle Eastern markets, which comprise 18 additional countries.
That means it has less than half the total customer base of MTN.
MTN’s market cap was R241.51 billion at the time of publication, while Vodacom’s was R240.05 billion.
The table below compares the share prices and market values of South Africa’s telecommunications companies.
Listed companies’ total values are determined by their market capitalization, while Rain’s comes from its valuation as reported by African Rainbow Capital Investments.
| Biggest telecoms companies in South Africa — June 2023 | ||
| Company | Share price as of 7 June 2023 | Market value |
| MTN | R130.56 | R241.51 billion |
| Vodacom | R115.63 | R240.05 billion |
| Maziv (Vumatel + DFA) | n/a | R23.8 billion* |
| Rain | n/a | R18 billion* |
| Telkom | R28.17 | R14.23 billion |
| Blue Label Telecoms | R3.67 | R3.42 billion |
| Huge Group Limited | R2.74 | R472.82 million |
| TeleMasters Holdings Limited | R0.98 | R56.33 million |