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Sponsor's Message
14 September 2006
Can wireless fulfil South Africa`s broadband needs?
THAMI MTSHALI
, CEO, IBURST
[
14 September 2006
] -
Do you crave a faster Net but ADSL`s unavailable in your area and the
roll-out is so slow even the local snails are getting restless? Today, a third
choice exists for high-speed connectivity: iBurst`s wireless broadband. And it`s
not just your run-of-the-mill wireless, but the only 4G wireless broadband
available in South Africa.
Over the last decade we have watched the rise and fall of copper promises. The public, especially the residential PC and dial-up market, is desperately looking for another way to obtain reliable, high-speed Internet access. Enter iBurst. High data rate, fixed wireless broadband solutions are not new. What is new is the demand from residential and small business customers and our ability to supply this service across the board.
The term "broadband" is an umbrella for a number of technologies that share the same goal: Provision of sufficient data bandwidth for services such as video and audio streaming of high-quality multimedia, high speed data connections, always-on Internet and a host more benefits - some that are still too young to leave the classroom.
In the wireless world, broadband connectivity has some characteristics that distinguish it from its wired counterpart. First of all, it has certain advantages over land-based communications: the obvious ones concern speed of roll-out, accessibility and cost-efficiency.
While 3G card offerings in the market aim at mostly laptop users, iBurst is focused on providing high-speed connectivity specifically for the home and SME market where customers are looking for an affordable, fast and always-on connection that can be delivered in under 48 hours. iBurst technology has been designed from the ground up to provide pure wireless data more efficiently than the voice based cellular networks especially with regards to enhanced streaming, multimedia and all day surfing.
Not many people realize that iBurst is Africa`s first 4G wireless technology network. The best other SA operators can offer is 3G with the HSDPA add-on (3.5G). 4G is defined as the ability to offer an end-to-end, over-the-air, wireless IP technology for accessing data. This is iBurst down to a tee.
iBurst is unique because it optimises the use of its bandwidth with the help of smart antennae. In addition, iBurst`s single-channel approach to data transfer is more efficient than the paired channels used for 3G cellular service which typically "waste" a channel making them an inefficient user of spectrum.
Pricing for wireless broadband solutions is considerably more competitive today, making it more accessible to the greatly expanding South African market. Monthly fees for iBurst wireless connectivity are as affordable as R195 per month, are fixed and include no additional usage costs.
The decision to go wireless also allows customers to be up and running in the shortest fulfilment time possible. In the past, people would talk in general terms about the ultimate goal of being able to pick up the phone and have an always-on Internet and e-mail up and running within days. Today, wireless solutions like iBurst make that a reality.
Provisioning circuits and detailed analysis cycles for copper-carriers has become a laborious process that can take months. iBurst can provision a circuit in a matter days, essential in today`s market. Add that to the surprise that many DSL customers get after signing contracts then realising that they are too far away from a central office to get good service because of the technical limitations of copper-based infrastructure.
However, an iBurst broadband wireless access system does require some planning before implementation to verify line-of-sight. Distance and objects between sites (a user and an iBurst base station) affect coverage, hardware choices and mounting selections. Yet, the promising aspect of iBurst technology is rapid order fulfilment. Our design process, equipment procurement, installation and testing is timely and efficient. If you`re in an iBurst coverage area, you`ll have a modem delivered to your door within 48 hours and installation takes less than 30 minutes!
iBurst after sales service also came out tops according to a MyADSL customer services survey in July 2006, which stated: "iBurst promises customers good support, and unlike some of the other providers, they are putting their money where their mouth is. It is not surprising that their call centre response was also rated top in a previous survey."
The need for and interest in wireless broadband is growing in leaps and bounds. iBurst as a premier, forerunner in this market is rapidly extending its coverage to accommodate the demand.
Also, most pertinent to the South African nation, an additional, major strength of wireless broadband is that it enables availability of broadband services to end-users that would not otherwise have had access to Internet services at all. iBurst will continue to play a prominent role as technology streamlines the way we work and enhances the quality of life we enjoy today.
Over the last decade we have watched the rise and fall of copper promises. The public, especially the residential PC and dial-up market, is desperately looking for another way to obtain reliable, high-speed Internet access. Enter iBurst. High data rate, fixed wireless broadband solutions are not new. What is new is the demand from residential and small business customers and our ability to supply this service across the board.
The term "broadband" is an umbrella for a number of technologies that share the same goal: Provision of sufficient data bandwidth for services such as video and audio streaming of high-quality multimedia, high speed data connections, always-on Internet and a host more benefits - some that are still too young to leave the classroom.
In the wireless world, broadband connectivity has some characteristics that distinguish it from its wired counterpart. First of all, it has certain advantages over land-based communications: the obvious ones concern speed of roll-out, accessibility and cost-efficiency.
 |
| Thami Mtshali |
Not many people realize that iBurst is Africa`s first 4G wireless technology network. The best other SA operators can offer is 3G with the HSDPA add-on (3.5G). 4G is defined as the ability to offer an end-to-end, over-the-air, wireless IP technology for accessing data. This is iBurst down to a tee.
iBurst is unique because it optimises the use of its bandwidth with the help of smart antennae. In addition, iBurst`s single-channel approach to data transfer is more efficient than the paired channels used for 3G cellular service which typically "waste" a channel making them an inefficient user of spectrum.
Pricing for wireless broadband solutions is considerably more competitive today, making it more accessible to the greatly expanding South African market. Monthly fees for iBurst wireless connectivity are as affordable as R195 per month, are fixed and include no additional usage costs.
The decision to go wireless also allows customers to be up and running in the shortest fulfilment time possible. In the past, people would talk in general terms about the ultimate goal of being able to pick up the phone and have an always-on Internet and e-mail up and running within days. Today, wireless solutions like iBurst make that a reality.
Provisioning circuits and detailed analysis cycles for copper-carriers has become a laborious process that can take months. iBurst can provision a circuit in a matter days, essential in today`s market. Add that to the surprise that many DSL customers get after signing contracts then realising that they are too far away from a central office to get good service because of the technical limitations of copper-based infrastructure.
However, an iBurst broadband wireless access system does require some planning before implementation to verify line-of-sight. Distance and objects between sites (a user and an iBurst base station) affect coverage, hardware choices and mounting selections. Yet, the promising aspect of iBurst technology is rapid order fulfilment. Our design process, equipment procurement, installation and testing is timely and efficient. If you`re in an iBurst coverage area, you`ll have a modem delivered to your door within 48 hours and installation takes less than 30 minutes!
iBurst after sales service also came out tops according to a MyADSL customer services survey in July 2006, which stated: "iBurst promises customers good support, and unlike some of the other providers, they are putting their money where their mouth is. It is not surprising that their call centre response was also rated top in a previous survey."
The need for and interest in wireless broadband is growing in leaps and bounds. iBurst as a premier, forerunner in this market is rapidly extending its coverage to accommodate the demand.
Also, most pertinent to the South African nation, an additional, major strength of wireless broadband is that it enables availability of broadband services to end-users that would not otherwise have had access to Internet services at all. iBurst will continue to play a prominent role as technology streamlines the way we work and enhances the quality of life we enjoy today.
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