The history of the Internet in South Africa

[Bradley Prior]

The history of the Internet in South Africa

South Africa’s Internet access has overcome many challenges in its three-decade-long history, including hard-fought court battles to stave off state monopolisation.

 

[gregmcc]

Don't forget FidoNet which also played a big part in leading up to email as we know it today.

I still remember my node number

 

[Thor]

Telkom, bad guy from day 1

 

[nahoR]

I'm always so disappointed to see that MWeb is given the title of first uncapped ADSL when we all know DigiChilli started the uncapped revolution with Mweb claiming at that point in time uncapped is unsustainable.

 

[heinrikur]

iBurst, Xsinet, Tiscali Online.

Those where the days....

The dialup days.

 

[Leno]

No mention of one way satellite like Infosat etc

analogue leased lines, diginet, megawan to name a few other interesting times

 

[The_Librarian]

LeClub BBS with Ina Sonnenmoser

 

[dbnnet]

Factually incorrect: To my knowledge South Africa’s first commercial Internet service was set up by Olivetti Systems & Networks in early 1992. As a multinational company they were able to use their international links. Mark Elkins , now of Posix Systems started and ran that operation for many years, as well as setting up the coza Domain Administration system.

 

[Razer0]

Users on this forum could definitely add to this article, possibly replacing certain facts with updated ones.

 

[aktiv]

Well, I had one of the first Internet Cafe's in SA - Cape town ( Rondebosch) in 1994

Remember how I had to educate mostlly UCT students on the use of Netscape and early Usenet, running on a dial up connection

Still have the Sunday Times newspaper clipping interview about the shop

It was all virgin territory back then - no idea it would explode to the online life we have today

 

[RonSwanson]

Pre-Internet, Roblist was the authoritative listing of dial-up BBSes.

Many BBSes added Internet gateways, they were slow and text based only.

My first ever real ISP was CIS (Commercial Internet Services), run by the CSIR.

 

[Sinbad]

Pre-Internet, Roblist was the authoritative listing of dial-up BBSes.

Many BBSes added Internet gateways, they were slow and text based only.

My first ever real ISP was CIS (Commercial Internet Services), run by the CSIR.

@robfisher

 

[RonSwanson]

@robfisher

Yep, I see that he's around

 

[RonSwanson]

So here's a thought @Bradley Prior , how about some interviews with the grandfathers of the Internet in SA? We are fortunate to have the likes of Rob Fisher et al still around today, but the clock is ticking and we soon may not :-(

 

[fruitbat]

The history of the Internet in South Africa

South Africa’s Internet access has overcome many challenges in its three-decade-long history, including hard-fought court battles to stave off state monopolisation.

You missed all the pain and fun prior to broadband? Flip. I cost my dad a fortune!

 

[fismail]

I used to work for Proxima Information Exchange aka PIX Internet , eventually got bought out by Mweb (which used to be Worldnet Africa)

M-WEB to list on The JSE

MIH Holdings (MIHH) said it will be spinning off its Internet business, M-Web Holdings, as a separate company. M-Web will be capitalised to the tune of R550m. MIHH said it intends raising approximately R350m through a renounceable rights offer to its ordinary shareholders, while the balance will...

www.itweb.co.za

I've been in the industry working since 1997

 

[heinrikur]

Pre-Internet, Roblist was the authoritative listing of dial-up BBSes.

Many BBSes added Internet gateways, they were slow and text based only.

My first ever real ISP was CIS (Commercial Internet Services), run by the CSIR.

These are telephony-based BBS's. Many decades ago my father used to receive Ham Radio based BBS with an old 386SX, TPK or (T)erminal (P)ac(K)et software, custom modem and a 2 meter band radio. This has since stopped, they moved over to WinPack.

 

[RonSwanson]

These are telephony-based BBS's. Many decades ago my father used to receive Ham Radio based BBS with an old 386SX, TPK or (T)erminal (P)ac(K)et, custom modem and a 2 meter band radio. This has since stopped, they moved over to WinPack.

Fascinating!

 

[Leno]

Anyone remember their compuserv number

 

[upup]

And on the mobile side, first had to connect, then go to a site, and then remember to un connect, on a old nokia.