The uncapped wireless services that are being mentioned are not IBurst or MyWireless as neither of these services offers an uncapped product. Some of the satellite options are uncapped but they are really so expensive and/or slow as to make this an option that should only be looked at as a last resort. Just be aware that there are a few companies out there offering a wireless (wifi) service which is ILLEGAL. I have heard of people paying money for equipment and then after 3 months, the company is shut down and their customers end up with a whole bunch of expensive junk on their roofs.
The cellular products are too expensive when using large amounts of data. They are the way to go if you are a road warrior going ALL over the place. So really it comes down to a question of ADSL, MyWireless or IBurst. ADSL is definately going to come out tops as far as OVERALL most reliable in terms of speed and stability. HOWEVER, it really depends where you are. If you read on the forums, you will see how ADSL has been really up and down the last few weeks particularly in Gauteng. And as for wireless, both products mentioned work very well IF your coverage is good and they are set up correctly. They are still not as reliable as ADSL. But this has to be countered with the fact that:
* ADSL will take 4 to 10 weeks to get installed (if it is available at all in your area) as Telkom has to come put in the line.
* On ADSL, problems are less common but when they do happen they tend to take longer to be resolved.
* The wireless services can be set up in a matter of a few hours. Initial costs (depending on whether you go on a month to month or 24 month contract) can be higher (up to around R3500) but the monthly fees are definately very competitive with ADSL.
* ADSL cannot be moved - no taking it to your girlfriend's house for the night so you can send a few emails.
I have been on wireless for about 2 years now. I have had a few times where the service was unavailable but it has never been so bad that I decided to can it and put in ADSL. But then again we have some customers who have and with good reason. But we have had a few customers on ADSL and they have moved to wireless for various reasons including portability and a dislike of Telkom! I don't feel it is as cut and dried as some of the forumites make it out to be. All the internet services we have in SA right now are at times unreliable, way more expensive than a similar service in Europe and backed up with service that sometimes leaves a lot to be desired.
What I would suggest is to visit
http://www.telkom.co.za/portal/page?_pageid=1724,148067&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL to check if your exchange is ADSL enabled. This is step 1 and if it says it is not, then this immediately cuts down on your choices. (Please note that if it says your exchange IS enabled, it actually does not NECESSARILY mean that it is open season on getting your line - there are more issues to overcome first!(-
Then if you wish to check out the wireless services, I would recommend getting someone to come out (preferably with both MyWireless and IBurst) to check on your signal and give a demonstration of the service. You will then at least make an informed decision.
www.justconnect.co.za
