Broadband pricing: Cost/Mbps/GB
Email
Print
Muti
DiggHere is which broadband services provide the best value in terms of speed & usage allowance versus cost
The recent broadband survey asked users to conduct both local and international speed tests, shedding light on the real world performance of the various broadband services available in South Africa. This survey was completed by 2,134 broadband users, giving a comprehensive results set to draw comparisons from.
Cost/Mbps/GB
The accepted international standard to calculate the value of a broadband service is examining the cost per Mbps. This comparison is typically used in environments where there are no monthly usage limits (uncapped), which means that the speed and price of the service are the two most significant components of a broadband service.
In South Africa most broadband services have strict monthly usage limits – better known as caps – and these caps are closely tied to the cost of a service. To compare the relative value of a local service the monthly usage limit should therefore form part of the equation.
The simplest way to incorporate the monthly usage limit into the accepted international standard is to calculate a value where the cost per Mbps is given per GB of allotted monthly data usage. The value would therefore be Cost/Mbps/GB. This value shows the relative value of a broadband service in terms of download speed and monthly usage limit.
The following table gives a basic Cost/Mbps/GB comparison of the most prominent broadband offerings available in South Africa. It should be noted that standard pricing from operators were selected for this comparison, and that it may be possible to find better priced offerings from Internet Service Providers or resellers.
| 1GB | Local Speed (Kbps) | International Speed (Kbps) | Average Speed (Kbps) | Cost | GB | Cost/Mbps/GB |
| ADSL 4 Mbps | 2950 | 1971 | 2461 | R 1034 | 10 | R 43 |
| ADSL 4 Mbps | 2950 | 1971 | 2461 | R 685 | 5 | R 57 |
| NeoConnect Prime | 1020 | 691 | 856 | R 599 | 10 | R 72 |
| Neotel NeoFlex | 1050 | 832 | 941 | R 699 | 10 | R 76 |
| Telkom HSDPA | 2570 | 1038 | 1804 | R 1499 | 10 | R 85 |
| Telkom HSDPA | 2570 | 1038 | 1804 | R 489 | 3 | R 93 |
| ADSL 4 Mbps | 2950 | 1971 | 2461 | R 693 | 3 | R 96 |
| Telkom HSDPA | 2570 | 1038 | 1804 | R 349 | 2 | R 99 |
| iBurst WiMax | 1030 | 989 | 1010 | R 1040 | 10 | R 105 |
| Neotel NeoFlex | 1050 | 832 | 941 | R 499 | 5 | R 109 |
| NeoConnect Prime | 1020 | 691 | 856 | R 499 | 5 | R 119 |
| Telkom HSDPA | 2570 | 1038 | 1804 | R 219 | 1 | R 124 |
| Telkom WiMax | 590 | 510 | 550 | R 730 | 10 | R 136 |
| MTN HSDPA | 1550 | 1241 | 1396 | R 389 | 2 | R 143 |
| iBurst WiMax | 1030 | 989 | 1010 | R 760 | 5 | R 154 |
| Vodacom HSDPA | 1420 | 1045 | 1233 | R 389 | 2 | R 162 |
| Vodacom HSDPA | 1420 | 1045 | 1233 | R 589 | 3 | R 163 |
| Vodacom HSDPA | 1420 | 1045 | 1233 | R 989 | 5 | R 164 |
| Vodacom HSDPA | 1420 | 1045 | 1233 | R 1989 | 10 | R 165 |
| iBurst Wireless | 630 | 569 | 600 | R 999 | 10 | R 171 |
| Telkom WiMax | 590 | 510 | 550 | R 479 | 5 | R 178 |
| iBurst Wireless | 630 | 569 | 600 | R 599 | 5 | R 205 |
| MTN HSDPA | 1550 | 1241 | 1396 | R 289 | 1 | R 212 |
| Vodacom HSDPA | 1420 | 1045 | 1233 | R 289 | 1 | R 240 |
| ADSL 384 | 350 | 309 | 330 | R 773 | 10 | R 240 |
| Telkom WiMax | 590 | 510 | 550 | R 389 | 3 | R 241 |
| ADSL 512 | 420 | 367 | 394 | R 947 | 10 | R 246 |
| iBurst Wireless | 630 | 569 | 600 | R 449 | 3 | R 256 |
| ADSL 4 Mbps | 2950 | 1971 | 2461 | R 623 | 1 | R 259 |
| ADSL 384 | 350 | 309 | 330 | R 522 | 5 | R 324 |
| NeoConnect Prime | 1020 | 691 | 856 | R 279 | 1 | R 334 |
| iBurst Wireless | 630 | 569 | 600 | R 199 | 1 | R 340 |
| ADSL 512 | 420 | 367 | 394 | R 696 | 5 | R 362 |
| ADSL 384 | 350 | 309 | 330 | R 432 | 3 | R 448 |
| ADSL 512 | 420 | 367 | 394 | R 606 | 3 | R 526 |
| Telkom WiMax | 590 | 510 | 550 | R 319 | 1 | R 594 |
| ADSL 384 | 350 | 309 | 330 | R 389 | 2 | R 604 |
| ADSL 384 | 350 | 309 | 330 | R 330 | 1 | R 1026 |
| ADSL 512 | 420 | 367 | 394 | R 536 | 1 | R 1395 |
Vodacom exceeds million broadband mark
Vodacom 21 Mbps HSPA+ tested
Broadband rollout aid needed in SA
iBurst’s turnaround plan
iBurst struggles with poor service levels
