In South Africa consumers generally pay a few hundred Rands per month for a basic ADSL connection with a usage limit of around 3 GB. When compared with international offerings on a fair basis – which involves a Cost\/Mbps\/GB comparison – it emerges that local ADSL subscribers are paying as much as 7 000% more than their international counterparts.<\/p>\n
This is however all very technical and a basic example may serve to illustrate how far South Africa is lagging behind developed countries.<\/p>\n
Orange SA – which operates in Paris – recently launched their 100 Mbps triple play service, offering an uncapped 100 Mbps broadband connection, 51 channel television service and unlimited phone calls. The price – R 436-00 a month.<\/p>\n
This is however not the best deal in town – Paris that is. Free, a competing French ISP, announced a €30 – or R 290-00 – a month triple play offering which includes a 50 Mbps Internet connection, free phone calls to 42 countries and high-definition television.<\/p>\n
This offer is essentially a combination of an uncapped ADSL connection, your full-bouquet DSTV service, the best Telkom Closer call plan, and unlimited international phone calls for a flat rate of under R 300-00 per month.<\/p>\n
When looking at these offerings it becomes blatantly clear why knowledgeable local consumers cry foul at Telkom’s fixed line broadband rates and why a massive digital divide has developed between the developed world and developing countries like South Africa.<\/p>\n