'Move to broadband'
2008-05-29 13:27
Cape Town - Broadband, WiMax, VoIP... How does South Africa stack up to the rest of the world?
News24 chats to Rudolph Muller, founder of Mybroadband.co.za (aka MyADSL), a news and information website formed in 2003 to serve the needs of the South African broadband and IT community.
Muller has an MSc in IT (University of Liverpool) and comes from an academic background as an IT lecturer at the University of Johannesburg. He left in 2007 to dedicate more time to other ventures and is also a guest columnist for the Citizen, Moneyweb, News24, Beeld and others.
For the technologically-challenged... Could you shortly explain the following:
Broadband internet access: A fast internet connection which is always on.
Dial-up access: An old method to access the internet using your telephone line and dialling your ISP to connect. Move to broadband - you will save money and enjoy the internet more.
VoIP: Using the internet to make voice calls - it is often free.
WiMax: A wireless technology (like with your cellphone) to connect to the internet.
WiFi: Another wireless technology to connect to the internet and create a network in your home.
When it comes to telecommunications, how is South Africa doing compared to other countries?
South Africa is unfortunately very expensive and way behind the rest of the world when it comes to fixed-line telecoms (where Telkom provides services). On the wireless/mobile front (Vodacom, MTN, iBurst and now Neotel) we are doing much better. Our wireless guys are doing a good job to bring more competition to the market and driving down prices despite facing many challenges.
We've heard about Seacom, Eassy, West Coast Cable, UhuruNet. What are those and what will it mean to consumers?
When they are all ready it will mean better broadband at lower prices. They will connect us faster and cheaper to the rest of the world - hence to the internet.
Neotel is expected to shake Telkom's monopoly. Do you think Neotel will make a significant difference by delivering cheaper calls/internet packages?
Yes - they have already. They recently launched their first services, and have significantly undercut all current broadband providers.
Bandwidth remains relatively limited and expensive in South Africa. In your opinion, what could be done to increase accessibility, speed and bring down costs?
Competition is key. Icasa should licence more players and government should do anything in its power to increase competition.
Voice over IP (VoIP) is said to reduce telecommunication costs. What is the current status of VoIP in South Africa? Do you know if consumers/businesses are taking advantage of VoIP?
VoIP has already reduced the cost of voice calls in South Africa and more and more businesses and consumers are using VoIP services. The best known is Skype, but there are numerous other free and commercial services available today.
It's been said it's a lot quicker/easier to roll out wireless technologies like WiMax, should SA rather concentrate on and invest more in wireless broadband technologies?
It seems to be the trend - very similar to the mobile providers (MTN, Vodacom and Cell C) leaving Telkom way behind when it comes to voice calls. Cable theft makes for another compelling argument to rather use wireless technologies.
Where do 3G and HSDPA fit in?
It is similar to WiMax - just more mature and better for mobility.
Do you think internet use (online shopping, watching online videos etc) will reach unprecedented heights once cheap broadband becomes a reality in South Africa?
It will certainly enjoy far more support. We are already seeing significant growth in online usage, and this will increase in future with increased broadband penetration.
Tell us more about MyADSL. How did it start?
MyBroadband (also known as MyADSL) was formed in 2003 to serve the South African broadband and IT community. Since its early days of having a very strong activism focus it has developed into South Africa's largest IT website with news, online discussions, classifieds, jobs, photos and more. The site currently serves more than three million pages to nearly 600 000 unique visitors per month (audited April 2008 stats).