South Africans travelling abroad will now have access to WiFi broadband connectivity at cheaper rates, following the launch of Internet Solutions' (IS) International Roaming Solution. The offering, in partnership with AlwaysOn, allows current IS HotSpot customers and other travellers to roam the international WiFi HotSpot networks by either using their IS contract login details, or purchasing prepaid airtime before departing the country or while overseas.
Currently, IS has provided access in South America and India via its partners Vex and Tata Indicom WiFi, but will be extending this to wireless HotSpot locations in the United States, Europe and China. These locations include major business centres, airports, leading hotels and various retail locations, including cafes and restaurants.
“Current international 3G rates can cost up to R200 per MB, which can very quickly add up to a costly bill when it is your only form of overseas Internet access,” says Justin Spratt, HotSpot Business Unit Manager at IS. “Therefore, we have been working hard to set up these value-adding partnerships with international broadband suppliers to give our customers, as well as all other South Africans planning to travel abroad, cheaper and easier mobile access to the Internet.”
IS will be offering various per minute and hourly hotspot bundles. The rates will range between R1.29 to R1.50 per minute, with hourly rates starting from R90 per hour. “These bundles can be purchased from our countrywide locations or directly from the IS and AlwaysOn Web sites when you are overseas,” comments Spratt. “The bundles are also valid and usable nationally, should prepaid users have additional airtime when they return to South Africa.” All IS customers who have PLuGG accounts, the company's consumer broadband product, will also be able to use the International Roaming Solution with their PLuGG login info.
“We see this is a key business enabler for our current corporate customers and other companies who do a great deal of business overseas, especially in the current economic conditions when cost-cutting and responsible corporate spending are non-negotiable,” says Spratt. “Through our WiFi roaming partnerships, South African travellers can now use a wireless-enabled laptop, WiFi phone or other suitable portable device to connect to the Internet, making it more accessible to everyone, no matter where they are in the world,” he concludes.
For more information, visit: http://www.is.co.za/hotspots/.
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