-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: What's the most interesting small town you've visited in South Africa?
Wireless Broadband The Solution?
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
julianhutz
New Member
i might be getting Iburst, they are finally rolling out in PE, yeah.
might being the op, word. at least now we have CHOICE.
with information i've found, Wireless can transfer at (+-) 160km true or false? i believe wireless can be like picking up a radio signal, pay your TV license, and be connected, on any channel....
can someone tell me, is there a datacard that will be able to switch frequencies to accomodate best signal, like 3G card?
that would be cool, stay connected anywhere on any frequency...
might being the op, word. at least now we have CHOICE.
with information i've found, Wireless can transfer at (+-) 160km true or false? i believe wireless can be like picking up a radio signal, pay your TV license, and be connected, on any channel....
can someone tell me, is there a datacard that will be able to switch frequencies to accomodate best signal, like 3G card?
that would be cool, stay connected anywhere on any frequency...
guest2013-1
guest
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2003
- Messages
- 19,800
- Reaction score
- 13
With wireless providers you even have less choice. True, Telkom is a monopoly and the SNO is way overdue. But if I want to switch service providers, I don't want to go buy a new modem or sign another 24 month contract just to switch.
Effectively, Sentech/iBurst and MTN/Vodacom have different implementations or different wireless broadband technologies. When you choose one, you're locked into that particular provider unless you fork out extra cash to actually move.
I'm in no way advocating that Telkom is good, but at least with my ADSL line, I have a choice between several hundered service providers, plus, the option to switch to the SNO as soon as they come available at no cost at all or no major change in the modem I'm accessing the internet with.
Wireless broadband solutions are great, for rural areas. But what most don't realise is because people are fed up waiting around for Telkom to catch a wake up (hire more staff to do more business faster = larger profit) they'll opt for something else.
The service provider (more than often) oversubsribes a particular access point to where there's not enough bandwidth left to the physical "tower" (not to mention the congested small international pipe everyone has to share)
Wireless should stick to radio and television IMO.
Effectively, Sentech/iBurst and MTN/Vodacom have different implementations or different wireless broadband technologies. When you choose one, you're locked into that particular provider unless you fork out extra cash to actually move.
I'm in no way advocating that Telkom is good, but at least with my ADSL line, I have a choice between several hundered service providers, plus, the option to switch to the SNO as soon as they come available at no cost at all or no major change in the modem I'm accessing the internet with.
Wireless broadband solutions are great, for rural areas. But what most don't realise is because people are fed up waiting around for Telkom to catch a wake up (hire more staff to do more business faster = larger profit) they'll opt for something else.
The service provider (more than often) oversubsribes a particular access point to where there's not enough bandwidth left to the physical "tower" (not to mention the congested small international pipe everyone has to share)
Wireless should stick to radio and television IMO.
competition in wireless???
"The competition in this market is one of the most important factors spurring this innovation. This competition is also what makes wireless broadband in South Africa sustainable as each provider strives to provide an affordable service that will encourage mass uptake."
You gotta be joking. All the wireless prices/deals are pretty much the same, ie. extortionate! Fixed adsl is cheaper and more stable. Not sure how Vodacom/MTN/Cell C etc can justify their charges per meg especially considering the much of the hardware for their services is already in place. What we are seeing in this market is very similar to the so-called choice we are offered by the banks in this country.
"The competition in this market is one of the most important factors spurring this innovation. This competition is also what makes wireless broadband in South Africa sustainable as each provider strives to provide an affordable service that will encourage mass uptake."
You gotta be joking. All the wireless prices/deals are pretty much the same, ie. extortionate! Fixed adsl is cheaper and more stable. Not sure how Vodacom/MTN/Cell C etc can justify their charges per meg especially considering the much of the hardware for their services is already in place. What we are seeing in this market is very similar to the so-called choice we are offered by the banks in this country.
Our problem is not related to technology at all, it's entirely caused by protective regulation that prevents a free market situation, an endemic culture of collusion, and corruption. Wireless technology cannot solve any of these problems. No technology can. Only true market liberalisation has some hope of doing so. The examples of dozens of other countries show that you can have dirt cheap broadband for the masses with wired technology too. And yet there's no reason we couldn't have both wired and wireless and in this way have even more new potential competitors.
Last edited:
i'm strill grasping the concept how a tiny little pcmcia card can download at 1.8mbps without any cables or anything. *beyond me*
There are some issues regarding wireless that need to be sorted out though.
1. From what I've read and heard wireless doesn't seem to be quite as reliable as a fixed line connection like ADSL, diginet, ISDN, etc.
2. Coverage is a problem - I live in the sticks and can't get any wireless connection except for something maybe like GPRS and satellite. We need wireless equipment with ranges of about 50km or more without the need to spend R10000+ on special high gain antenna.
3. Wireless still costs too much. The initial investment in hardware is insane and the monthly prices are a bit steep. For basic connectivity it's still too expensive.
Paul
1. From what I've read and heard wireless doesn't seem to be quite as reliable as a fixed line connection like ADSL, diginet, ISDN, etc.
2. Coverage is a problem - I live in the sticks and can't get any wireless connection except for something maybe like GPRS and satellite. We need wireless equipment with ranges of about 50km or more without the need to spend R10000+ on special high gain antenna.
3. Wireless still costs too much. The initial investment in hardware is insane and the monthly prices are a bit steep. For basic connectivity it's still too expensive.
Paul
Im with Turtle on this. Didnt the article also fail to mention it being ilegal to offer or use these solutions unless you are licenced?
Pauls, if you took a look at the cost of high speed comunication across thiss country the prices from telkom wouild blow your soxs off anf 10,000 outlay 1 time beats a monthly outlay of the same figure. Thats the reality.
Pauls, if you took a look at the cost of high speed comunication across thiss country the prices from telkom wouild blow your soxs off anf 10,000 outlay 1 time beats a monthly outlay of the same figure. Thats the reality.