Local consumers have a variety of Internet connectivity options to choose from due to continuous development of products and increasing levels of innovation.
So says Dawie de Wet, CEO at Q-Kon, who points out that before settling on a technology, consumers must step back, avoid hype and hearsay, and seriously consider the merits of each offering available.
According to De Wet, digital interaction can now take place over ADSL as a form of DSL, 3G or even satellite.
“In the past, satellite [was] generally considered too expensive for the consumer. Cost constraints pushed the technology out of reach of most people.
“The irony is that satellite is essentially a broadcast network that has been adapted for data and Internet broadcasting. It is a ubiquitous service that can be controlled end-to-end and is suited for Internet communication,” says De Wet.
He explains that satellite is becoming relevant within rural areas. “Up until very recently, users in these areas may have had very little, if any, chance to connect to the Internet and enjoy access to digital communication,” he notes.
On the other hand, De Wet adds, ADSL is based on existing copper cable lines and, as a technology architecture, was designed as a voice network adapted for data.
DSL is mostly non-fibre, he explains, but there is connectivity to a fibre backbone - so fibre does come into play at some point.
“ADSL is point-to-point and is a solution that is comprised of various stages or components. It is also symmetrical by nature, which means that what you see is what you can transmit - the speeds of either 512KB or 328KB are the same.”
De Wet also notes that while ADSL is effective in terms of download speeds and is designed to optimise voice and calling transmission, the technology is slow to roll out and is prone to issues such as cable theft and line faults.
Despite these setbacks, the technology suits specific environments and is an effective channel for high-speed Internet access, he adds.
De Wet believes that consumers, in general, are easily persuaded to follow what is 'aggressively pushed' to them in the marketplace.
“But this is not necessarily the best option available. I can highlight the fact that satellite transmission is not constrained and the quality of transmission has very little to do with the actual satellite in place.
“In fact, it has more to do with the receiver or 'dish' - the basic premise is that the larger the dish, the better the signal. The satellite itself is technology that is built to last years and does not change,” says De Wet.
However, since the unveiling of uncapped ADSL last year, the local Internet market has seen an accelerated growth of broadband.
According to local ISP MWeb, before the availability of uncapped ADSL, its users consumed 282TB of data a month, as opposed to the present figure of 2.5 petabytes a month.
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