Capetonians will be able to discover the convenience of wireless broadband Internet access when Sentech launches its MyWireless service in the city on 27 May. Similar services have already gone live in Johannesburg, Midrand Pretoria and Durban.
Instead of using a traditional telephone line to connect to the Internet, wireless modems connect users over the air at high speed. There is no physical telephone line connection, which frees people to use their Internet connection on a portable or fixed device from wherever it suits them within the coverage area.
In the Western Cape, initial coverage is planned for Blouberg, Camps Bay, Cape Town central, Cape Town International Airport, Constantia, Goodwood, Newlands, Parow North, Sea Point, Salt River, Tygerberg, Wynberg and Milnerton.
Says Winston Smith, portfolio manager of broadband products at Sentech: "MyWireless is the first broadband alternative to traditional, fixed-line dial-up Internet connections. There are no irritating dial-up delays and usage costs. The service is not delivered by wire-line and not by satellite, but by secure, world standard, high-powered radio technology across high sites within the coverage areas."
MyWireless comes in three versions - 128, 256 and 512kbps. The different product offerings are priced at a fixed monthly fee of R649, R849 and R1449 per month respectively. MyWireless is suitable for residential and business users alike. There is a once-off R500 activation fee and the offering includes the modem.
Says Smith: "MyWireless is a contended service, configured to obtain the most efficient access to the Internet or e-mail at the same time, via one network. Subscribers are not charged additional fees based on the volumes of information they send or receive or on the time which is spent surfing the Internet. There is no cap on bandwidth used in any specific package.
"We are seeing excellent take-up of MyWireless in Gauteng and Durban and we expect it to be just as popular in Cape Town," says Smith.
"Executives and consumers enjoy the ability to connect to the Internet from wherever they happen to be without the need for a tethered wire connection or usage fees. These days, people expect high speed, low price and portability from their Internet connections and MyWireless provides this," he says.
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