The Insider’s personal propellerhead compared the time and costs to download 100GB of data over Telkom’s fastest ADSL offering (1Mbps) with the time and cost to fly to Hong Kong, visit an internet café, download 100GB of data at the fastest speed (1Gbps), and fly back.

Quite a challenge, eh? Here are the results: Telkom line speed > 1Mbps, download size > 100GB, estimated download time > 9,5 days ISP (34 x 3GB accounts @ R269) > R 9146,00, line rental (ADSL) > R680,00, line rental (residential voice) > R92,28. Total > R9918,28.

Hong Kong Line speed > 1Gbps, download size > 100GB, estimated download time > 13 min, flight (SAA) > R7942,00, internet café > R17,43 (HK20). Total > R7959,43

Difference: Hong Kong is cheaper by R1958,85. So, it’s cheaper and quicker to fly to Hong Kong to download 100GB of data. The propellerhead doesn’t have the time to work out where they converge, but he agrees, we’re being ripped off.