Frequently Asked Questions

Backspace is a South African wholesale telecoms provider. We give resellers, ISPs and businesses access to voice, fibre, LTE/FWA, APN and reverse-billing services without having to build the infrastructure or manage separate carrier relationships themselves. Backspace provides the platforms, infrastructure and specialist support, while the reseller manages the customer relationship.

Backspace brings several telecoms services together under one roof, making them easier for resellers and businesses to manage and grow. We offer: Wholesale voice, cloud PBX, fibre, LTE/FWA, APN and reverse-billing services. Direct relationships and integrations across major South African networks. Self-service management, reporting and billing tools. White-label options that allow resellers to trade under their own brand. Flexible, volume-based commercial models and local specialist support.

Yes. Backspace offers white-label options that allow approved resellers to deliver services under their own brand. Depending on the solution and agreement, your customers can see your company name, pricing, and customer-facing platform while Backspace provides the infrastructure and operational support in the background.

You need the operational capacity to manage your customers, sales, first-line support, billing, and collections. We provide the infrastructure, and you are 100% responsible for the day-to-day customer relationship. Before services are activated, the onboarding team will complete the relevant commercial, financial and compliance checks.

Security, resilience and availability are central to how Backspace runs its services. Its infrastructure is monitored and maintained to support business-critical environments. Security controls vary by product and setup. Customers with specific compliance, hosting, data-protection or network-security requirements should raise them with the Backspace team before implementation.

Complete the contact form and select the services you are interested in, and one of our team members will contact you. The Backspace team will discuss your requirements and guide you through the commercial checks, contracting, portal access and training. You can expect your onboarding to take around 5- 7 business days from initial engagement to portal access and training and order commencement. We have a predetermined set of criteria we will work through as a team to ensure we meet financial and regulatory compliance and good corporate governance.

You buy services from Backspace at wholesale rates and set your own retail pricing for customers. Your margin is the difference between your wholesale cost and the price you charge, less your own sales, support and operating costs. Wholesale pricing may be volume-tiered, so higher sales volumes can qualify for more favourable rates and improve potential margins.

Both options use the same underlying mobile radio network and access infrastructure. The main difference is who owns and uses the Access Point Name (APN). Shared APN: The APN name is owned by the provider and securely shared across multiple customers. Private APN: The APN name is provisioned for the exclusive use of your organisation, giving you greater control over access, policies and network configuration.

Backspace can provide private or custom APN services across multiple South African mobile networks, depending on your coverage, technical and commercial needs. This means you can manage selected networks through one provider and platform instead of dealing with each operator separately.

Yes. No technology service can remove every possible point of failure. However, Backspace reduces the risk through robust infrastructure, monitoring, capacity planning and setups that can include multiple networks, resilient links and failover options. Customers benefit from that scale and redundancy without having to build and manage the same infrastructure themselves.

Both services use the Telkom mobile network, but they are packaged for different use cases. Telkom Mobile is generally positioned for mobile users and connected devices, while Telkom FWA is positioned as a wireless broadband service for homes and businesses. Notably, Telkom FWA is not geo-locked and can be used across different locations within coverage. Signal availability, network conditions and product terms still apply.

FWA is a flexible broadband option where fibre is unavailable, delayed or too costly to install. Fast deployment compared with many new fibre installations. High-speed connectivity through the Telkom mobile network, subject to coverage and signal quality. Portability within supported coverage areas where the selected product is not geo-locked. A cost-effective option for primary connectivity, temporary sites or failover and backup use.

Reverse billing, or zero-rated data, lets people use an approved website, app or online portal without using their own mobile data. The organisation providing the service pays for the eligible data usage instead. It is the mobile-data equivalent of a toll-free call and can make digital services easier to access.

No. It can benefit any mobile user. Even people who have data may prefer a data-free service that does not use their allowance, especially for essential or frequently used services. Removing the end-user data cost can reduce friction and make services such as banking, healthcare, education, retail and customer portals easier to access.

Backspace offers reverse-billed data across South Africa’s major mobile networks through one platform and commercial agreement. Network availability, eligible traffic and pricing depend on the agreed setup and each operator’s requirements.

An application programming interface, or API, allows different software systems to exchange information and carry out actions. It sets the rules for what can be requested, how the request must be formatted, and what response will be returned.

Yes. Backspace’s PortaOne system supports API integration, so approved systems can connect to the platform. The functions available depend on the solution and the access permissions granted.