The local telecoms market is rapidly shifting as consumer and small business fixed line (copper cable) voice communications continues to decline yet the second national operator is investing over R250 million in fixed wireless installations and technology across the country. <\/p>\n
Neotel announced today that it has committed to invest a quarter of a billion rand in the next few months into the deployment of fixed wireless technology.<\/p>\n
According to Dr Angus Hay, Executive Head of Technology at Neotel, there is rapid uptake of fixed wireless, and the company is experiencing a 5 percent increase in sales month on month. Neotel’s wireless network is similar to a cell phone network but offers fixed line numbers that operate within a particular dialling code area (e.g. 011), and are priced at very competitive fixed line rates.<\/p>\n
“This fixed wireless market growth is in sharp contrast to the continued shrinkage being experienced in copper-based fixed line voice connections. Fuelled by affordability, convenience and mobility the small business and consumer markets are aggressively adopting fixed wireless whilst abandoning fixed line,” Neotel said in a press statement.<\/p>\n
Neotel has further committed to pass any interconnect price cuts on to its customers. “Whilst Neotel already offers the best standard call rates in the market for calls to any network, it has committed to passing on to its customers the savings that will result should mobile interconnection rates be reduced,” the company said.<\/p>\n
Neotel currently provides services in the major cities of South Africa, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Durban, Pretoria and Cape Town. The company continues to move ahead with the rollout of its network that now has more than six million people within its coverage area. “Faced with the option of renewing a contract on a copper line service that is expensive and unreliable, or moving to fixed wireless, the choice is clear,” Neotel concluded.<\/p>\n