Head to head
MTN HAS FIRED a shot across Neotel’s bows in the race to deliver an alternative broadband option for home and small office users. The cellular giant is launching its home offering with a device that seems to offer a clear edge on Neotel’s current product set.
MTN data bearers senior manager Brian Seligman says the Fastlink 970 has been designed specifically to be simple enough so anyone can set it up and use it without having to call in a friendly cousin that knows about technology to tweak some or other setting. The good news is that promise is delivered on almost to the word. The modem can be set up with a computer – in fact, I set it up using my iPod touch – as long as you have a web browser and WiFi signal.
The device itself is small enough to easily hide away and good looking enough to leave it in plain sight without having to feel too embarrassed. The key to any broadband modem is speed and while in areas with poor reception, speeds are quite pitiful, in areas more blessed with coverage they are quite brisk.
Speed is just one measure of the quality of a product and it’s the one area I feel it makes no difference whether you use MTN or Neotel’s phone. Speeds are dependent on where you are in relation to a base station, how many people are also using the service at the same time and what you’re trying to access.
Where the Fastlink stands out is the features it brings to market. First, it has a jack on the back so you can plug any ordinary telephone into it and make voice calls. That makes it a compelling option as a fixed line replacement. Neotel’s device is a phone, so in a head-to-head comparison, MTN would have a slight edge because you’re able to plug in a cordless phone, whereas with Neotel’s device you have to use its handset.
Second, you can connect to the Fastlink using WiFi or Ethernet, whereas the Neotel phone uses only USB. Also because it’s a WiFi/Ethernet device, you don’t need to install any software on it. You can be using Windows, Mac or Linux, or even your WiFi-enabled cellphone with it, while Neotel’s phone only connects to machines with Windows.
Then there’s the issue of actually making calls. With the Neotel phone you can’t receive calls while you’re on the phone, while the MTN router will allow simultaneous transmission of voice and data if you’re on the 3G network. And if you’re using the 2G network, the data connection will be interrupted and reconnected once that call ends.
With regard to pricing, MTN is in the ballpark but Neotel clearly has the edge. MTN charges R449 for a 2GB/month contract while Neotel charges R399 for 2,5GB/month.
However, that’s where the competition ends, because for R499 you can get 5GB/month from Neotel and MTN doesn’t even compete against that.
Seligmann says it’s been a strategic choice by MTN to play in the lower end of the market regarding capacity. Though MTN’s Fastlink will retail at R2 500, Seligman says it will probably be free on a number of contract options. For those who need home connectivity or to set up a temporary hotspot, this is an option hard to beat, especially in its ease of use.
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