Wireless broadband provider, Infinite Stream Ghana, in collaboration with e-business solutions company BusyInternet, has rolled out iBurst technology in Accra, Ghana`s capital, to provide businesses and residential users with affordable high-speed mobile Internet access.
This is according to Tinyiko Valoyi, CEO of Infinite Stream Ghana.
The cost to establish technology in Accra is about $3 million, says Valoyi, who says a series of smart antennae base stations have been erected around metropolitan Accra, as well as the Osu and Kaneshie regions. He notes that the company aims to cover other parts of Accra in future. "We want to see how people react and utilise iBurst technology, before we extend it further."
Valoyi predicts a market base of around 3 000 to 5 000 subscribers by the end of the year. "If we continue to roll-out in the other regional business centres of Tema, Kumasi and Takoradi as per the plan, we are looking at around 8 000 subscribers in total."
Thami Matshali, CEO of iBurst SA, who is behind the fourth-generation (4G) offering in Accra, says 4G technology is aimed at residential users, SMEs and the mobile workforce because of its affordability. He notes that after the initial payment of the broadband modem, which costs just under $200, monthly payments are $50 to $60 a month, with a 1GB data cap.
Valoyi says if businesses or residential users cannot afford the monthly payments, BusyInternet provides an iBurst pay-as-you-go service that costs $1.50 per hour with an unlimited data cap. "This is targeting the bottom end of the market who cannot afford a monthly contract."
He says iBurst is designed to optimise the use of bandwidth using high DSL speeds in a mobile environment, allowing businesses in Africa to operate on a global level.
Convergence
Valoyi says the company is experiencing strong interest from larger corporate business operations that need to augment dedicated leased line services, as well as use virtual private networks and other IP networks from the widest range of devices including laptop computers and PDAs.
He notes that users do not need to change their computing habits, applications or devices to match their access method at the moment; instead they can access the Internet on multiple platforms.
"Users can potentially use VOIP applications on their mobile phones for affordable prices from any area with cellular network coverage."
According to the iBurst SA Web site, US-based wireless software developer ArrayComm is the developer and patent holder of the iBurst broadband wireless system sold globally by licensees. iBurst is also available in Australia, Kenya and Azerbaijan.
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