Will cheap broadband really change your life

I went to Afrihost (R145.00/month for 5GB) and still pay the R135-odd to Hellkom for the ADSL. 384k is no way broadband, you guys are correct, it's just ISDN+ which is slightly better than dial-up. When the ISPs STOP profiteering and ripping us off, then and only then will PROPER BROADBAND be affordable, like in the UK, where they pay less than 12 pounds a month for 10Mbps or in the USA where it's less than $50 a month for 100Mbps or faster. Africa is still in the dark ages. And while we have "leaders" that are so corrupt and ignorant, it will continue.
 
g-d-zilla said:
I went to Afrihost (R145.00/month for 5GB) and still pay the R135-odd to Hellkom for the ADSL. 384k is no way broadband, you guys are correct, it's just ISDN+ which is slightly better than dial-up. When the ISPs STOP profiteering and ripping us off, then and only then will PROPER BROADBAND be affordable, like in the UK, where they pay less than 12 pounds a month for 10Mbps or in the USA where it's less than $50 a month for 100Mbps or faster. Africa is still in the dark ages. And while we have "leaders" that are so corrupt and ignorant, it will continue.
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We don't pay per Mbps to the ISPs, the Mbps charge is paid to Telkom - it's here where we need to apply some serious pressure. (I know technically the ISPs price is based on a Mbps model, but that doesn't really affect the speed I get as a user. eg when I buy 1GB from Afrihost the speed is determined by my Telkom line, not by Afrihost).
 
Speedster said:
We don't pay per Mbps to the ISPs, the Mbps charge is paid to Telkom - it's here where we need to apply some serious pressure. (I know technically the ISPs price is based on a Mbps model, but that doesn't really affect the speed I get as a user. eg when I buy 1GB from Afrihost the speed is determined by my Telkom line, not by Afrihost).
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+1
 
384K is what, then, exactly?

All right, it isn't exactly broadband speed, but for me what defines broadband isn't actually, necessarily, the width of the pipe. It's the always-on nature.

I work with a lot of small companies out here in the sticks (East Rand), and when I migrate them from ISDN over to ADSL, they just can't believe the difference. On-line, all day, every day, for no massive additional "Usage cost" beyond the line rental itself??? Fantastic!

So while we techies who snapped up 512K when it first came out quickly found it too slow and moved on to 4MB ASAP may consider 384K to be a false prophet of the cult of Big Pipe Broadband, it is an always-on data service significantly faster than the definition of narrowband (dial-up, basically). That is broadband in SA today, for "the masses" who just want to be able to download their email, maybe connect with family a bit on Facebook... even run a small business off of.
 
Beam said:
All right, it isn't exactly broadband speed, but for me what defines broadband isn't actually, necessarily, the width of the pipe. It's the always-on nature.

I work with a lot of small companies out here in the sticks (East Rand), and when I migrate them from ISDN over to ADSL, they just can't believe the difference. On-line, all day, every day, for no massive additional "Usage cost" beyond the line rental itself??? Fantastic!

So while we techies who snapped up 512K when it first came out quickly found it too slow and moved on to 4MB ASAP may consider 384K to be a false prophet of the cult of Big Pipe Broadband, it is an always-on data service significantly faster than the definition of narrowband (dial-up, basically). That is broadband in SA today, for "the masses" who just want to be able to download their email, maybe connect with family a bit on Facebook... even run a small business off of.
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Good point
 
oh we still calling 312k broadband. UK they deemed it illegal about 5 yrs ago. remind me of how things here are really progressing. 312k uncapped - a pain in my arse to wait for a dl irrespective of cap.
 
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