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Sentech takes actions to improve MyWireless service

By Sentech
Johannesburg, 22 Jul 2004

Sentech, the commercially operated state-owned enterprise has announced some measures, which will improve the service on its broadband MyWireless product range.

Marcel Raath, Sentech's Executive of Sales and Marketing, commented as follows:

"Part of this process is setting up a platform to monitor excessive usage and downloading on the network. The past three months has shown that there are a small number of customers whose usage can be termed as 'network abuse' in terms of the paragraph headed 'excess utilisation of network resources' in our acceptable use policy. All users have accepted, and agreed to abide by, this policy and non-compliance is resulting in degradation, creating a knock-on effect for all MyWireless users.

"Obviously the situation cannot be allowed to continue and excessive usage is being monitored with a view to contacting customers to assist them with managing their usage, in order to ensure fairness for all users of the MyWireless network.

"These users might require to upgrade to a higher package or another type of service that will cater for their specific requirements."

Raath advised that some of these customers have already been contacted and are co-operating with Sentech on this matter.

He continues: "MyWireless is a contended Internet service, which means we share bandwidth with other users, and with the cost of international bandwidth being at a premium in SA, it is imperative that Sentech manages this efficiently to ensure that all our customers receive an equitable share. We are also engaging with our international partners to assist us with optimising the MyWireless network in order to restore the service to acceptable levels.

"We are confident that subscribers currently affected by the apparent degradation of the service will see an improvement over the next few weeks."

More news on new actions will be communicated on an ongoing basis.

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Sentech

Sentech is a commercially operated state-owned enterprise. The company's network forms the backbone of broadcasting in SA. In May 2002 Sentech was awarded two additional licences allowing the company to provide international telephony and broadband wireless services.

Sentech provides the following services:

* Terrestrial broadcasting coverage in analogue format to 98% of SA broadcasters;
* Satellite distribution for linking both radio and TV transmissions networks through its C-band capacity;
* Business broadcasting, data casting and interactive distance learning;
* Portable, always on Internet access; and
* Broadband services, delivered via both satellite and terrestrial networks.

Sentech's broadband services first became available in August 2003. The first package, VSTAR Custom, is a satellite-driven broadband service with Internet access as a core offering aimed at the broad business market. Sentech also offers a standard VSTAR Internet product to access the Internet at speeds as high as 512Mbps and as low as 128Mb.

Sentech's latest addition to its broadband wireless product offering is the new Internet service, called MyWireless offered in three packages, starting with MyWireless 128, which offers a shared 128Kbps connection, mainly for residential users, and two higher bandwidth offerings, namely MyWireless 256 and MyWireless 512, aimed at the small office home office (SOHO) and small to medium-sized enterprises.

Sentech has:

* 207 transmission high sites;
* 552 TV transmitters;
* 719 FM transmitters;
* 16 medium wave transmitters; and
* Over 20 microwave multipoint distribution systems.

The company is also in the process of rolling out the MyWireless network throughout the country. For more information, log on to www.sentech.co.za.