Wi-Fi providers show strong growth

Rudolph Muller

Rudolph Muller is the editor at MyBroadband and covers telecoms and broadband news. Rudolph comes from an academic background, but left the University of...

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The Wireless Access Providers’ Association of South Africa (WAPA) recently released the results of their third annual industry survey.  According to WAPA it “represents the second biggest provider of fixed service telecommunication infrastructure in South Africa as well as the second largest group of telecommunications licensees.”

The survey results are based on 23 WAPA members, representing only a very small portion of all the wireless access providers in South Africa.  WAPA estimates that there are over 700 wireless providers operating in South Africa, the majority of which are not yet WAPA members. WAPA estimates the total number of fixed wireless subscribers to be in the order of 60,000.

The results indicate that there was a 57 percent year on year growth in fixed wireless subscribers, generating annual revenues of around R 55-million.  “Total revenue grew conservatively even though total subscriber numbers grew by 57 percent. The majority of subscribers in this year’s survey is residential. This reflects a trend towards more cost effective access for consumers,” WAPA said.

There was a 10 percent growth in high sites over the last year while the industry employment numbers grew by 40 percent.  “Coverage areas expanded with a steady growth in the number of high sites and there was impressive sustained growth in employment and social responsibility projects,” said WAPA.

According to WAPA they have also made very good progress in meeting and exceeding ICASA’s HDI and BEE ownership guidelines, showing 44 percent and 76 percent growth respectively over the last twelve month.

The majority of WAPA members indicated that licenced or lite-licenced (shared) spectrum should be a strong focus area for wireless providers in the next year. The WAPA membership also expressed strong interest in building a collective national coverage map.

Wi-Fi and WAPA discussion