Bridging the fixed and mobile divide
Since then, the capabilities of wireless technology have grown in leaps and bounds and it now lies on another threshold: seamless mobility.
What this means is that users can move geographically and continue to work, using laptop computers or cellphones, without needing to be aware that their system has switched its method of connection. It happens automatically as one moves around, and is made possible by recent advances in wireless technology.
Chris Ross, Vodacom executive for products and services, explained how he first became cognisant of the versatility of 3G technology: “I was in a stadium at one of the matches at the Japan-Korea Soccer World Cup five years ago, took a photo on my mobile and immediately e-mailed it to my wife. The remarkable fact was that it was a Japanese phone, and I managed to do this without understanding the language of the phone.”
The beauty of the wireless option is that the mobile phone is the device and all the necessary intuition is built into it so that no configuration is required, unlike with a computer. The cellphone number is the user’s e-mail address, and the menu prompts them with questions. When an SMS alerts them that they have received an e-mail, they simply click on the icon to read it.
Just as the cellphone has transformed the lives of the lower income groups, so broadband will transform their personal and business lives, according to Ross .
“Joe the Painter can now put up ads listing his mobile number and e-mail address, allowing potential customers to e-mail photos of a house to be painted, and for which he can quote.
“We are finally seeing two worlds coming together — the Internet protocol and telephony world, with devices that live equally in each world.
We are crossing over the fixed- mobile divide. You can send an e- mail and no longer have to wait for the person to get home or to the office to read it — with a Blackberry, it alerts you while on the move,” explained Ross.
The wireless service therefore targets two distinct markets: the developed market that already has access to high-speed fixed services but now wants mobility, and the under-serviced market, which has less accessibility to fixed-line broadband and will increasingly make use of mobile solutions as its only option.
In time, this will be supported by initiatives by a number of hardware suppliers to deliver ultra low- cost PC terminals.
The wireless entry level is flexible and affordable.
Ashraff Paruk, MTN head of business strategy and product innovation, said there were offers that enabled users to pay only for what they used.
Ad-hoc usage starts at R2/Mb, which caters for people who simply want to access e-mails, but with other packages the cost reduces to 39c/Mb.
“This rate is one of the lowest in the world for a wireless service and caters for both pre-paid and contract,” said Paruk.
Miguel Silva, sales executive at Verizon, said wireless offerings had particular appeal in South Africa because it is such a mobile society and a fixed-line solution is therefore too limited for many.
Paruk said connection speed was about to be transformed, with new technology HSUPA likely to one day offer uplink speeds of up to 14 Mbps, though its currently still in the laboratory. He said 100 Mbps was also a likely scenario within four years.
In addition, small palm-held devices — with HSDPA technology built in — were coming on the market, offering what he said was an excellent TV viewing experience.
“This is one of the top three services most requested by customers. It is not the normal sit- down-and-watch TV, but is on- demand viewing, for instance of live sport. People will be able to download a video and watch it at times when they have nothing else to do — on long trips or waiting for a flight,” said Paruk.
The wireless option also has significant benefits for small businesses and, again, complete flexibility is offered to allow businesses to experiment with usage and upgrades according to their needs.
One package allows businesses to pay only for incoming traffic, while the user pays for his or her personal Net surfing.
Another package places a cap on each individual’s usage, with the person either paying the excess or it going into a pool until the company limit is reached.
“What the mobile networks got right is offering flexibility from every perspective, and no set-up hassles,” said Paruk.
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