RocketNet
RocketNet is a South African retail fibre ISP and division of Directel Communications that resells FTTH and FTTB broadband over 17+ Fibre Network Operator partnerships, serving thousands of residential and business customers on month-to-month uncapped, symmetrical-speed subscriptions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What RocketNet does
RocketNet is a South African retail Internet Service Provider (ISP) operating as a consumer-facing division of Directel Communications (Pty) Ltd, delivering Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) and Fibre-to-the-Business (FTTB) broadband services across South Africa. The company does not own fibre infrastructure; instead, it resells connectivity over partnerships with 17+ Fibre Network Operators (FNOs) including Vumatel, Openserve, Octotel, MetroFibre, FrogFoot, MTN, Evotel, LinkLayer, and Netstream. Service offerings span symmetrical speed tiers from 10/10 Mbps to 200/200 Mbps (extending to 1000 Mbps on select partners), with unshaped and uncapped data, IPv6 support, optional static IPs, and an equipment rental program for ONT/modem devices. Customer experience is anchored by the LaunchPad self-service portal, multi-channel support (WhatsApp, phone, email, Discord), and a content-marketing blog, with a Hellopeter-validated reputation of 4.3/5 across 951 reviews.
The business model is recurring monthly subscription revenue (R400–R700+ per month per promotional data) plus equipment rental, sold direct-to-consumer via signup.rocketnet.co.za, phone (0876100500), WhatsApp, and the LaunchPad portal under month-to-month contracts with no long-term lock-in. Customer segments are primarily residential households (primary) with a secondary FTTB business tier offering SLAs, priority support, and warranties under a separate Business Master Service Schedule. The company operates under ICASA IECS/IECNS licenses inherited from parent Directel, ISPA Code of Conduct membership, and is POPIA/GDPR compliant. RocketNet is privately held with no disclosed external funding and no public listing.
RocketNet firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RocketNet
- Legal name
- Directel Communications (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://rocketnet.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- RocketNet is a South African retail fibre ISP and division of Directel Communications that resells FTTH and FTTB broadband over 17+ Fibre Network Operator partnerships, serving thousands of residential and business customers on month-to-month uncapped, symmetrical-speed subscriptions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RocketNet industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fibre Broadband Internet Services
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications Carriers (except Satellite) (51711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers) (HDAIADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Residential/Broadband ISPs (Consumer Internet) (HDAIADAA)
Keywords
Where RocketNet is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Johannesburg
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
RocketNet business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Monthly Fibre Internet Subscription: Recurring monthly subscription fees for fibre internet services (FTTH/FTTB) with various speed tiers. Charges include monthly fees billed in advance, pro-rata charges on first invoice, and installation/activation fees.
- Equipment Rental: Rental of router/modem equipment to customers. Equipment remains property of RocketNet and is collected upon service termination. Customers bear risk of loss or damage and must have insurance.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Home FTTH Services - Various speed tiers (10Mbps to 200Mbps+) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Business FTTB Services |
| Subscription | Monthly | Promotional Packages - Free Installation |
| Subscription | Monthly | Vumatel Tactical Package |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
RocketNet product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RocketNet is a South African fibre Internet Service Provider (ISP) that sells FTTH and FTTB connectivity on month-to-month contracts, with capped, semi-capped, and uncapped options delivered over multiple third-party Fibre Network Operators. Its offer includes optional add-ons such as static IP addresses, premium installation, and WiFi router rentals, and is supported by an in-house self-service portal ("LaunchPad") for activation, top-ups, and account management.
Product overview
RocketNet is a South African Internet Service Provider (ISP) and division of Directel Communications (Pty) Ltd, providing fibre internet services (FTTH - Fibre To The Home) to residential and business customers. The company's core offering is high-speed broadband connectivity delivered through partnerships with multiple Fibre Network Operators (FNOs) including Vumatel, Openserve, Octotel, MetroFibre, Frogfoot, Evotel, LinkLayer, MTN, and Netstream. The product portfolio centers on the FTTH Internet Service with various speed tiers, supported by the LaunchPad customer portal for account management, and includes equipment rental (ONT/modems) as a supplementary service. Services operate on best-effort, month-to-month contracts with uncapped and unshaped access. RocketNet also provides Voice over IP (VoIP) services, speed testing tools, and maintains an extensive knowledge base and support infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Home Fibre (FTTH) Internet Service
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% network availability SLA target
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use RocketNet
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
RocketNet technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
RocketNet partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- OctotelcoreFibre Network Operator (FNO) partner providing fibre infrastructure coverage. RocketNet offers services over Octotel's network with specific SLA terms including Minor (4-day repair), Serious (26-hour repair), and Major (18-hour repair) severity levels.
- VumatelcoreMajor FNO partner with detailed SLA terms including Respond (30 seconds/30 minutes), Restore BH (48 hours), Restore AH (75% SLA), and Resolve (14 days) targets. MetroFibre offers 99.5% uptime SLA for 20Mbps-1000Mbps enterprise packages.
- MetroFibre NetworxcoreSouth African-owned open-access fibre network operator established in 2010. RocketNet services over MetroFibre network with specific SLA terms including credit issuance if customer is down for 19+ days per year.
- FrogFoot NetworkscoreFNO partner with next business day resolution guarantee for valid faults. Offers 10:1 contention ratio guarantee on access services.
- OpenservecoreFNO partner. Best effort SLA only (no credits offered). One of the largest fibre infrastructure providers in South Africa.
- MTNcoreFNO partner offering fibre services. Best effort SLA (no credits). Provides MTN Apollo packages with free activation for new installations with existing ONT.
Scale indicators3 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RocketNet competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mweb: Long-standing South African ISP retailing fibre, LTE and ADSL on multiple FNOs with both consumer and business offerings. Direct competitor on the same fibre networks with overlapping customer segments.
- Afrihost: One of South Africa's largest independent ISPs, retailing FTTH/FTTB on multiple FNO networks with similar month-to-month and contract options. Most directly comparable retail fibre ISP competitor to RocketNet in the South African aggregator segment.
- Supersonic: MTN-owned South African fibre ISP targeting residential customers with FTTH packages across multiple FNOs. Directly competes with RocketNet in the uncapped fibre retail segment, though backed by a major telco.
- Cool Ideas: South African independent fibre ISP operating on multiple FNOs, known for community engagement and competitive pricing. Closely matches RocketNet's niche independent-aggregator positioning and target audience.
- Vox Telecom: South African ISP/telco offering fibre-to-the-home and business services with SLA-backed enterprise packages. Comparable business fibre (FTTB) offering and customer overlap with RocketNet's SMB segment.
- Axxess: South African independent ISP retailing uncapped fibre across multiple FNOs with similar flexible contract terms and price-driven positioning. Direct retail fibre ISP competitor at comparable scale.
Broad incumbents
- MTN: Pan-African mobile operator with growing South African fibre retail presence (including the Supersonic brand). Competes with RocketNet at the broadband layer as both a wholesale FNO partner and a retail competitor.
- Telkom: South Africa's incumbent fixed-line operator offering fibre, LTE, and ADSL with own infrastructure (Openserve). Competes with RocketNet in fibre retail but at much greater scale and with proprietary network assets.
- Vodacom: Major South African mobile operator offering fibre and converged home internet bundles. Overlaps with RocketNet in residential and SME fibre while leveraging far broader distribution and mobile bundling.
Emerging players
- Rain: South African fixed-5G and LTE data provider competing for the same residential broadband wallet with wireless rather than fibre delivery. Adjacent substitute competing for budget-conscious fibre-switcher customers.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RocketNet social profiles
Digital presenceRocketNet compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
RocketNet financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RocketNet leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
RocketNet funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RocketNet M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RocketNet
What does RocketNet do?
RocketNet is a South African fibre Internet Service Provider (ISP) that sells FTTH and FTTB connectivity on month-to-month contracts, with capped, semi-capped, and uncapped options delivered over multiple third-party Fibre Network Operators. Its offer includes optional add-ons such as static IP addresses, premium installation, and WiFi router rentals, and is supported by an in-house self-service portal ("LaunchPad") for activation, top-ups, and account management.
Is RocketNet a public or private company?
RocketNet is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was RocketNet founded?
RocketNet was founded in 2001. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is RocketNet based?
RocketNet is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does RocketNet make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Monthly Fibre Internet Subscription is the primary driver. The others are equipment Rental.
Who are RocketNet's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mweb, Afrihost, Supersonic, Cool Ideas, Vox Telecom and Axxess. Broad incumbents are MTN, Telkom and Vodacom. Rain is listed as an emerging player.
Does RocketNet have an API?
No public API is recorded for RocketNet.
What industry is RocketNet in?
RocketNet's product category is Fibre Broadband Internet Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIADAE, Fiber ISPs (FTTH/FTTP Retail Providers), with a secondary code of HDAIADAA, Residential/Broadband ISPs (Consumer Internet). Its NAICS code is 51711.