Internet Solutions (IS) is retargeting the consumer market, with a DSL concept called Plugg.
After three years spent focused on the enterprise and small business market, IS launched Plugg internally on Friday and the solution is now available to the consumer.
"After such a strong focus on the business market, we wanted to redress the consumer business," says IS marketing executive Anthony Southgate.
He says the company wanted to create a fun and fresh brand for the new consumer offering to replace its last consumer service, ICON, which it sold to MWeb in the early 2000s.
Southgate says, while the product was only launched internally last week, the service is live and consumers can consider it available for purchase.
Breaking it down
Plugg comes in three varieties: Basic DSL, created for low content users; Pro DSL, for the intermediate user; and Elite DSL, aimed at the tech and gaming market. The company calls it a customisable ADSL service that gives users the ability to top-up as they need to.
IS has not yet purchased wholesale ADSL lines from Telkom, so users will have to source their own lines for the time being. However, Southgate says the company is working on a line rental option, which will hopefully roll-out soon. "We want it to be right for the consumer before we roll-out actual lines," he adds.
The first option in the package deal is the Basic DSL component, which starts at R33 per month. Southgate says it is essentially a pay-as-you-go option and ideal for users who are low level users of the Internet - using e-mail and basic surfing.
The second option, Pro DSL, is a standard capped Internet account, which starts at R85 per month. It includes standard 1GB capped Internet. The solution allows users to increase their cap anywhere from 2GB up to 30GB per month, with top-up options available.
The third solution, Elite DSL, starting at R99 per month, is aimed at the gaming market and high-technology users (power users). The solution allows local and international bandwidth to be capped, primarily to engage gaming users who play on local servers.
New top-up idea
All of the solutions can be topped-up with added bandwidth and the Elite can also be topped with local bandwidth.
The cost of a top-up depends on the way users buy it, and there are three kinds, for both local and international usage.
Bandwidth can be bought either at the beginning of the month (upfront), during the course of the month (mid-month) and a new version of top-up which only expires after a year (carry-over).
The costs for international bandwidth are: upfront R52/GB, mid-month R60/GB and carry-over R80/GB. Local bandwidth is significantly cheaper, upfront at R15/GB, mid-month R20/GB and carry-over at R30/GB.
Southgate says the selection is part of the customisation process and carry-over bandwidth will be worthwhile for gamers who need to top-up near the end of the month.
Planned expansion
The solution will grow and new services will be added over the course of the next year, says Southgate. "What we are looking at for the next service will be voice over IP, which we think is a particularly cost-effective and convenient service."
He says the company is also looking at mobile HSDPA solutions and will hopefully complete a wholesale ADSL line rental deal.
The company says the solution, as it is being sold currently, can also be used at IS's several wireless hotspots across the country.
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