Fixed-line, mobile tech work in unison

By Alex Kayle, Senior portals journalist

Johannesburg, 03 Sept 2009

Historically, most service or network providers only offered fixed-line or mobile technologies to certain areas or market segments.

However, Mike Vos, Telkom senior manager for technical product development, says this is changing because fixed-line and mobile technologies are being seen as complementary.

Vos will speak at the ITWeb Broadband conference to be held on 8 and 9 October at the Indaba Hotel in Fourways.

“Fixed-line-based broadband services are normally of a higher quality and better throughput rate due to less contention in the access medium,” says Vos. “Fixed-line has a higher initial capital requirement on a per customer basis since the infrastructure is not shared.

“Mobile broadband, on the other hand, provides flexibility not available through fixed-line technologies. Infrastructure can be installed to serve a sparsely populated area and extended when utilisation increases.”

Working together

Vos adds that mobility also allows the service to be used in more than one fixed location: “This mobility does come with a price premium relative to fixed. The mobile service also shares the air interface, which causes dynamic cell loading that may impact cellular coverage.”

The optimum, according to Vos, is to offer a solution which is packaged with both technologies, to get a good connection at a good price when at a fixed location, and on the same package roam on mobile technology.

From a sustainability perspective, Vos says both fixed-line and mobile technologies have a place in SA's broadband market. He believes the country's socio-economic environment requires people to connect to the same services at anytime from anywhere.

However, the problem comes in when there are too many new options competing exclusively, which Vos warns may not completely serve the needs of the South African public.

“A double subscription to multiple services is costly and integration of the services at a low level of a single integrated offer is required. There will be certain applications that favour mobile broadband to allow connectivity at any time, anywhere, like messaging and e-mail.”