Cell C entered the wireless broadband market this week, with an EDGE offering targeting the home PC user market.
The third mobile operator`s wireless broadband service will provide "an always-on connection, at three times the speed of a dial-up connection," according to Tim Walter, Cell C`s head of product development.
The EDGE GPRS USB modems are available in a number of stores, and will be available nationwide next week, he says.
Wireless broadband offerings from Vodacom and MTN are unsuitable for the home PC market, Walter claims, because the two operators do not offer a USB device. Both only offer PC card modems, and desktop PCs, which are prevalent among home users, generally do not support those cards, he says.
Walter says while iBurst and Sentech also offer USB connectivity, Cell C offers a far more extensive national network footprint than either of them.
According to its Web site, Sentech`s coverage outside the major metropolitan areas only includes Nelspruit. iBurst recently extended its coverage to include Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Nelspruit.
Market spot-on
Cell C`s decision to focus on the residential market is on-target, as there is scope for growth in this market segment, says Rudolph Muller, founder of MyADSL.
Craig Terblanche, business and technology advisor at analyst firm MarketWorks, says Cell C`s chosen market presents an opportunity to overcome Telkom`s ADSL availability issues.
"Home PC users who wish to use ISDN or ADSL offerings from Telkom are constrained by having to connect via a fixed line," Walter says.
With Cell C`s offering being a flat-rated, always-on connection, many consumers may select this product to replace their dial-up connection, Muller says. There are also many PC owners without a landline, and Cell C can serve to connect these PCs to the Internet, he says.
Price, speed
Cell C`s 500MB and 1GB packages are more expensive than Vodacom`s equivalent offerings, but the USB modem is included in Cell C`s deal, notes Walter. In addition, Cell C is monitoring price reductions by both Vodacom and Telkom and will consider appropriate action when necessary, he says.
When compared to Telkom`s ADSL service, Cell C`s broadband service is cheaper and uncapped, he notes.
[PLACE TABLE "CELL C" HERE]
Source: MyADSL
Vodacom`s service tops
A Vodacom spokesperson notes that in a recent poll run by MyADSL, Vodacom, which announced 54 000 3G, 2 000 HSDPA and over 64 000 mobile wireless data users in its annual results, was voted the most caring provider by wireless broadband users.
Vodacom was also voted the most affordable wireless broadband data provider in SA, she says.
iBurst was voted the second most caring wireless broadband provider, followed by Sentech and MTN, she says.
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