SFW
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SIGNAL distributor Sentech has finally held the launch of its highspeed wireless internet access service, but on a smaller scale than initially hoped for.
The service should ultimately let users with a wireless-enabled laptop connect to the internet from practically anywhere in any of SA's major cities.
While rivals such as Telkom and M-Web are content to create wireless access hotspots in small but busy locations such as hotels, Sentech wants to turn entire cities into hotspots.
But so far only nine of the 16 radio transmitters planned for Gauteng have been switched on, covering only nine suburbs. Those areas do not include the city centre, Sandton or Rosebank, where businesses and the more affluent users are concentrated.
The areas initially covered include Brixton, Randburg, Killarney and Marlboro, but even in those suburbs some streets are not buzzing with wireless signals.
Sentech's marketing services executive, Marcel Raath, says one problem has been getting environmental approval for erecting its masts. More base stations were due to come online this week, he said, and others had been erected or were awaiting connection in Durban and Pretoria.
Although progress was slower than expected, Raath said the roll-out was going very well. So far about 2000 users had subscribed, and that should grow once MyWireless was switched on in Durban on February 19 and in Cape Town by March 19.
"We are working flat out to get things processed and we are fine- tuning the credit-vetting procedures. A lot of people have applied from areas where we don't have base stations yet and we will keep them posted."
Sentech believes its MyWireless service will cut the cost and improve the convenience of internet access by eliminating the need for a fixed line connection. Its fees will let people who could previously not afford internet access get online, said Raath.
However, the package is far more costly than normal dial-up connectivity and is only costcomparative to Telkom's high- speed services. Sentech's entrylevel offering at R649 a month is aimed at residential users, while faster offerings at R849 and R1499 a month are designed for business users.
Sentech also boasts that users will not be limited in the amount of time they spend online, nor in the volume of data that they transmit. That is a direct challenge to Telkom, which caps users of its own high-speed service to 3Gb of data a month.
But the boast of unlimited usage is not entirely true. Sentech's acceptable use policy bans subscribers from making excessive use of its network as that would weaken the performance to the detriment of other subscribers.
"Excessive use" includes using the service to host a server which attracts excessive traffic, or continuously uploading or downloading streaming video, audio or large files.
If Sentech detects such behaviour, it may restrict that user's access, upgrade them to a more expensive, faster service, or terminate their subscription.
Raath said that was in line with global internet policies, and was designed to prevent unacceptable practices such as the reselling of its services.
Jan 29 2004 07:54:48:000AM Lesley Stones Business Day 1st Edition
I LIKE FREE DOWNLOADS
I DOWNLOAD EVERYTHIN OFF
THE NET(dont pay its wrong LMAO)
The service should ultimately let users with a wireless-enabled laptop connect to the internet from practically anywhere in any of SA's major cities.
While rivals such as Telkom and M-Web are content to create wireless access hotspots in small but busy locations such as hotels, Sentech wants to turn entire cities into hotspots.
But so far only nine of the 16 radio transmitters planned for Gauteng have been switched on, covering only nine suburbs. Those areas do not include the city centre, Sandton or Rosebank, where businesses and the more affluent users are concentrated.
The areas initially covered include Brixton, Randburg, Killarney and Marlboro, but even in those suburbs some streets are not buzzing with wireless signals.
Sentech's marketing services executive, Marcel Raath, says one problem has been getting environmental approval for erecting its masts. More base stations were due to come online this week, he said, and others had been erected or were awaiting connection in Durban and Pretoria.
Although progress was slower than expected, Raath said the roll-out was going very well. So far about 2000 users had subscribed, and that should grow once MyWireless was switched on in Durban on February 19 and in Cape Town by March 19.
"We are working flat out to get things processed and we are fine- tuning the credit-vetting procedures. A lot of people have applied from areas where we don't have base stations yet and we will keep them posted."
Sentech believes its MyWireless service will cut the cost and improve the convenience of internet access by eliminating the need for a fixed line connection. Its fees will let people who could previously not afford internet access get online, said Raath.
However, the package is far more costly than normal dial-up connectivity and is only costcomparative to Telkom's high- speed services. Sentech's entrylevel offering at R649 a month is aimed at residential users, while faster offerings at R849 and R1499 a month are designed for business users.
Sentech also boasts that users will not be limited in the amount of time they spend online, nor in the volume of data that they transmit. That is a direct challenge to Telkom, which caps users of its own high-speed service to 3Gb of data a month.
But the boast of unlimited usage is not entirely true. Sentech's acceptable use policy bans subscribers from making excessive use of its network as that would weaken the performance to the detriment of other subscribers.
"Excessive use" includes using the service to host a server which attracts excessive traffic, or continuously uploading or downloading streaming video, audio or large files.
If Sentech detects such behaviour, it may restrict that user's access, upgrade them to a more expensive, faster service, or terminate their subscription.
Raath said that was in line with global internet policies, and was designed to prevent unacceptable practices such as the reselling of its services.
Jan 29 2004 07:54:48:000AM Lesley Stones Business Day 1st Edition
I LIKE FREE DOWNLOADS
I DOWNLOAD EVERYTHIN OFF
THE NET(dont pay its wrong LMAO)