| The upside and downside of broadband Internet in | | | | HSDPA is providing good response times and router |
| South Africa | | | | devices are available that will allow a small business to |
| Always-on internet is all the rage as smaller firms | | | | connect multiple laptop and PC users to the service |
| seek a comprehensive broadband connection. | | | | and share the bandwidth in the same way they |
| There is an escalating demand for ADSL, with service | | | | would with ADSL. |
| providers reporting figures of 100% to 200% growth | | | | A bundled 3GIHSDPA router and data card as an |
| over the past six months. When the price of ADSL | | | | alternative to ADSL is available. A number of |
| was high the market take-up was slow, but as soon | | | | different mobile data packages are also available with |
| as Telkom reduced the cost, demand escalated. | | | | 3G and HSDPA - ranging from R350 to R5 000 a |
| A lot of this demand is coming from small businesses | | | | month, depending on how many megabytes of data |
| that have been using a dial-up connection and are | | | | download capacity is required. |
| realising it is now more viable to use an always-on | | | | The advantage of 3GIHS-DPA is that the service will |
| broadband internet connection. | | | | switch to EDGE or GPRS if the user moves out of |
| Where a small business used to pay 11800 a month | | | | the coverage area, whereas with the iBurst and |
| for 512 kilobits per second (kbps) ADSL line, it now | | | | My-Wireless wireless service there is no alternative. |
| costs about R318 a month. | | | | Dual-mode cellular/WiFi phones are available that allow |
| If a business is spending 30 minutes a day connected | | | | calls to be routed to users over the wireless local |
| to the internet on a dial-up line it will cost about | | | | area network (LAN) when they are in the office or |
| R342, and this could justify an ADSL line. | | | | over the mobile data network when they are |
| Small businesses that are using a 64kbps leased line | | | | traveling, using the same device. This is a lot cheaper |
| connection at 112 000 a month are now saying they | | | | than making conventional cellular voice calls, charged |
| would be better off paying a quarter of the price for | | | | for by the minute, because data is charged per |
| ADSL even if it means having a less consistent | | | | megabyte of capacity. This will save companies a lot |
| quality of service. | | | | of money because statistics show that 50% of |
| However, it is hard to satisfy demand and with | | | | cellular calls are made in the office environment. |
| Telkom there is a four to six-month lag in service | | | | A company should have an internet protocol-capable |
| delivery. | | | | PBX to take advantage of this new capability. Then, |
| Having been sold on the benefits of ADSL [ | | | | if an employee has a wireless access point at home, |
| customers want it now and are asking whether they | | | | VoIP calls can be routed to him on his dual mode |
| should go for another type of broadband service | | | | phone from his office. |
| such as 3G/HSDPA, iBurst or myWireless instead. | | | | |