Uncapped ADSL for R219: The details

MWEB stunned the local broadband market today when they announced that they will launch uncapped ADSL services next week starting from as low as R219 per month.

Rudi Jansen, MWEB CEO, says the time has come for South Africans to experience unlimited internet access that is within their means. “Internet penetration in South Africa remains below par – in fact, South Africa has fallen behind a number of other African countries in recent times. The lack of well-priced, generously-provisioned bandwidth has been holding us all back, and as a result we are missing out on an immense economic opportunity.”

MWEB Uncapped ADSL

This prompted MWEB to take the bull by the horns and launch uncapped ADSL services at prices never seen before in South Africa. 

MWEB is introducing six data-only ADSL packages for consumers and businesses. The consumer data-only products will cost R219, R299 and R539 per month for line speeds of 384Kbps, 512 Kbps and 4Mbps respectively. 

In addition, MWEB will offer three consumer all-inclusive packages (ADSL line rental included) for R349, R599 and R899 per month for line speeds of 384Kbps, 512 Kbps and 4Mbps respectively.

MWEB points out that any ADSL subscriber can take advantage of these new uncapped offerings, even if you are a Telkom Closer subscriber.

Business Products

At the same time MWEB launched uncapped services aimed at the business market. 

The MWEB Business data-only offerings will cost R499 per month for a 384Kbps line, R699 per month for a 512Kbps line, and R1 999 per month on a 4Mbps line.  The all-inclusive offerings for businesses will cost R629 for the 384Kbps option, R999 for the 512Kbps option and R2 259 for the 4Mbps package.

Jansen explains that the business products are significantly different from the consumer products, adding that all business products are unshaped and come with dedicated support, a Cisco router and other business related benefits and requirements. 

The higher price for the business products are therefore directly related to the added benefits and higher service levels associated with this product line.

Shaping and capping

While the MWEB uncapped business products are completely unshaped and uncapped, port prioritization may be applied to the consumer accounts during peak hours to ensure fast email and browsing. 

Jansen however points out that the service will be completely unshaped during off-peak hours, and that the offering will be totally uncapped.  Peer-to-peer traffic and large downloads are therefore allowed on the network, but this may be shaped during peak hours if it starts to affect web browsing and other standard protocols.

Jansen made it clear that shaping/port prioritization will be kept to a minimum and will only be applied during periods of particularly high traffic.

Service levels

The MWEB CEO is confident that they will be able to provide great service levels on their uncapped ADSL offerings.  Jansen said that they acquired significant international bandwidth capacity on SEACOM, with additional SAT-3/SAFE capacity to provide full redundancy.

MWEB is also leveraging its own fibre network in Gauteng and Cape Town to ensure cost savings on local bandwidth.

More to come from MWEB

This announcement from MWEB is sure to shake up the local broadband market, but Jansen said that this is merely the first step in a drive to bring true broadband to South Africans and ‘Free The Web’.

Jansen said that they are working hard behind the scenes to ensure better peering arrangements and conditions, bring about wireless local loop unbundling and ensure more favorable ADSL line charges.

The MWEB CEO added that consumers can expect much more from them this year, both in the ADSL and mobile broadband markets.

MWEB uncapped ADSL << discussion