MWeb to sell iBurst services
This is the second wireless broadband product offering from MWEB, following the announcement of MWEB’s Vodacom 3G/ HSDPA offering in July According to MWEB CEO, Rudi Jansen, this partnership will only benefit users out there as MWEB will be able to guide new customers confused by all the different services on offer.
By having more than one product on offer MWEB consultants will be able to assess which product is the best fit for each new customer.
“As the Internet experts and having the variety of broadband options available, MWEB can give customers completely objective advice on the best solution for their needs as we won’t be pushing one kind of broadband at the expense of another. All the broadband options have different benefits and are suited to different applications and usage patterns, so we will assess these before advising a customer on the best solution,” said Jansen.
Jansen added that more and more users need Internet access on the move, while small businesses often can’t afford to wait for ADSL to be installed.
“Wireless broadband such as iBurst is ideal for users who don’t want or need a Telkom line but who need high-speed Internet access. iBurst currently covers South Africa’s major metropolitan areas and the capitals of all nine provinces plus dozens of smaller towns and cities across the country. Access is via either a desk-top or laptop modem and because there is no waiting for a line to be installed, users can be up and running within 72 hours of ordering the service.”
IBurst Ceo, Thami Mtshali, is also confident of his company’s ability to deliver and satisfy new entrants to the market.
“We’re confident that our partnership with MWEB will see the benefits of high speed wireless broadband rolled out to even more business and home users. According to a recent poll, iBurst remains the most affordable wireless broadband with the best after sales service,” said Mtshali.
Partnerships of this nature are becoming more common in the South African broadband arena. Many ISPs are opting to include wireless offerings because this market is growing rapidly which means that providers cannot afford to lose out on this revenue stream.
MWEB’s launch offer for iBurst, available for two months from 1 October 2006 includes two free months when signing a 12, 24 or 36 month contract on any of the iBurst packages. The packages start at R279 per month for a 36-month contract including a 210 megabyte data cap and a laptop modem.
MWEB customers will also receive the following unique benefits:
– 1 Gig MWEB mailbox
– 24 hour technical support
– 300 free Wi-Fi minutes per month (provided that the user is in an MWEB joint-venture hotspot)
– Monitoring and alerts (related to data caps and limits)
– Single point of contact for all technical, hardware, Internet and billing queries
– Exclusive MWEB content, tools and services