Sentech is to make its MyWireless broadband Internet service available through the retail market, following its partnership with several key players in the retail and reseller fields.
The organisation has teamed up with Autopage Cellular, Internet Solutions and NoWire Technologies to reach a wider range of customers, as the demand for wireless broadband technology continues to grow.
"We want the product to be easily accessible to the general public, which is why we have chosen partners with experience in regional markets and a track record in providing wireless broadband, Internet and cellular services," says Marcel Raath, group executive for marketing and sales.
"We believe this offering will go down well with the public, as we have had a number of requests to provide such a service."
He says the company is looking at creating a hybrid model, which will combine both a retail offering and a corporate service.
"We are of course still selling the MyWireless service via our own call centre, Sentech's Web site and through our sales force, but we want to leverage our partners' retail experience, as this is not our core competency," says Raath.
"While Sentech will stick with our three partners for now, they all have the right - as our exclusive partners - to appoint their own resellers further down the chain and create a cascading effect."
Raath says the partnership agreement also allows the retailers to sell Sentech's high-end V-Star offering.
"I believe we will surpass ADSL within a year, and we will have more customers and more modems out there than our competitor."
Asked whether the company is being optimistic in targeting the retail sector when there is not that much coverage for the offering yet, Raath says Sentech is rolling out at least one new base station per week and the organisation already has 3 000 customers awaiting coverage.
"We have had a good relationship with Sentech for years, and feel this is a great opportunity from a South African perspective to finally get some competition in this market," says Hillel Shrock, Internet Solutions' executive for new business development.
"While partnerships of this nature are difficult, we are looking forward to a more deregulated market where we can help to provide more competition."
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