Telkom WiMax freeze
Telkom became the first South African telecoms operator to launch WiMax when it rolled out its 802.16d (fixed WiMax) offerings in June 2007. The service was mainly aimed at complimenting its existing ADSL products by expanding Telkom’s broadband footprint.
“Customers who apply for DSL will be offered Do Broadband Wireless if they reside in an area which is not DSL enabled and that falls within the coverage area of a WiMax base station,” Telkom said.
Recent consumer feedback however suggested that Telkom is not accepting new WiMax orders. According to one MyBroadband forum member he was told that Telkom’s WiMax suppliers are not supplying them with equipment, something which facilitated the freeze on new orders.
Telkom however denied that a shortage of WiMax equipment is behind the freeze on new orders, saying that it is currently reviewing all possible options with regard to WiMax technology. “During this process, due to be completed shortly, it is possible that no new customers will be added to our network in some areas,” said Ajith Bridgraj, Telkom’s Senior Specialist for Media Relations.
Slow WiMax uptake in South Africa
Despite the hype that surrounds WiMax, the technology has not had a significant impact on the South African market yet. Telkom, Neotel, iBurst/Vodacom and Screamer Telecoms have all rolled out WiMax networks, but to date WiMax users do not constitute a significant portion of the local broadband community.
According to an industry source the iBurst/Vodacom WiMax network has nearly no subscribers on it, something which is raising questions about Vodacom’s multi-million Rand investment in a national 802.16e (mobile)WiMax network.
Screamer Telecoms, which is using spectrum from Sentech for its WiMax needs, has rolled out an 802.16d WiMax access network ‘in the more heavily populated areas of SA’, offering broadband and voice services to consumers. According to Screamer Telecoms subscriber growth has been encouraging.
Neotel has not launched commercial WiMax-based broadband offerings yet, but according to a source the company is working on a fixed-WiMax service aimed at the high-end consumer and small business market.
Telkom WiMax freeze – give your views
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