One-account broadband service launched
G-Connect today launched its one-account service, offering consumers a convenient way to connect to the Internet via ADSL, 3G or Wi-Fi. The service offers users a single username & password and prepaid vouchers which can be used to connect via ADSL, 3G or Wi-Fi.
Users can purchase vouchers in denominations of R 25, R 50, R 100, R 250 and R 500. There is full rollover (no expiry) of unused funds but users are reminded to keep their account active by “logging in on a regular basis”.
The online registration and account top-up processes were very easy and users receive immediate notification about successful online registration and transactions.
Teething problems
An issue with the service is that users who sign up and pay for this service are not clearly told how to access their ADSL account. Unlike typical ADSL accounts with a username and password, G-Connect uses a standard username and password ([email protected] and G-Connect) while authentication is done via a browser interface similar to hotspot authentication.
The details are available in a G-Connect PDF help document, but the company will be well advised to clearly inform users about this procedure at signup. It has to be said that we tested the system before it was officially launched, and the company quickly called back after looking into the issue with all the details.
G-Connect told MyBroadband this morning that the problems were identified and that these issues have now been fixed.
A drawback of the service offering is that no simultaneous sessions are allowed. “In order to protect your wallet and keep your funds safe we only allow one connection session at a certain point in time,” the G-Connect website states.
This may be an irritation to travelers who want to use a single account for their home ADSL service – which will typically be used by their family – and for 3G and Wi-Fi access when they are on the road.
Pricing
The G-Connect one-account service has a per-MB pricing model where the price depends on the technology used. The company also introduced a Happy Hour rate which provides consumers with lower pricing between 17:00 – 20:00.
The standard price for 3G is 62c per MB while the Happy Hour rate is 55c per MB. For Wi-Fi access the basic cost is 49c per MB which is reduced to 35c per MB between 5 pm and 8 pm. The price for ADSL bandwidth is 6.5c per MB while the reduced Happy Hour rate is 4.7c per MB.
This pricing is competitive when compared with similar per-MB pricing models in South Africa, especially if you take into account the fact that there is no ‘expiry’ of bandwidth or funds.
Competition
The G-Connect one-account service competes favourably against services like Sainet’s Smart Account which combines ADSL and 3G access and Internet Solutions’ (IS) unified mobile broadband data bundle.
Sainet’s Smart account starts at R 99 for either 1.5 GB of ADSL bandwidth (6.4c per MB) or 250 MB of 3G/HSDPA bandwidth (40 c per MB). Sainet’s pricing is lower than G-Connect’s offering, but does not have the added convenience of Wi-Fi access.
G-Connect’s one-account service also competes against Internet Solutions’ unified mobile broadband data bundle which integrates 3G, GPRS and HSPDA connectivity with IS Wi-Fi HotSpot access. It should however be noted that the IS’s service is mainly aimed at enterprise clients while the G-Connect offering has a wider target market.
The G-Connect one account offering should appeal to consumers who are keen to stay connected while away from the office and are looking for a single, easy to manage account. This is a niche which is not well covered in South Africa, and the G-Connect service should be well positioned to serve this market segment.
“We believe G-Connect adds an element of simplicity, control and ease of use to the market that has been sorely lacking up until now,” says Carel van der Merwe, CEO of WirelessG “and for that reason, we have strong aspirations for the growth of the service.”
“We believe the service will attract great attention because of the ease of use with which customers can buy and use data capacity, as and when they require it without having the burden of a contract,” he says.
G-Connect one account – give your views
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