Vodacom`s HSDPA service has been voted the top wireless broadband offering in SA, gaining a 95% rating in the 2007 MyBroadband Wireless Broadband Survey.
The service outperformed competing offerings from MTN, iBurst and Sentech, to be crowned the best wireless broadband service for the second year in a row, says MyBroadband founder Rudolph Muller.
MTN took second place, with an 81% rating, with iBurst coming in third, at 80%, and Sentech`s MyWireless at 64%.
"MTN`s HSDPA service comes close to Vodacom`s offering, but its sluggish upload speeds and slightly less comprehensive coverage countrywide cost it in the end," Muller says.
He adds that iBurst did not perform as well as last year, lagging behind Vodacom`s HSDPA service on speed and general service quality.
Sentech`s MyWireless continues to struggle to keep up with Vodacom, MTN and even iBurst on price, performance and coverage, he says.
"MyWireless had the worst speeds of all services and did not perform particularly well in any other department."
Cell C and Virgin Mobile`s EDGE offerings were deemed not to qualify for the service, as they are not true broadband. However, it was noted that Cell C recently built up an extensive EDGE network and offers data bundles at prices that rival both Vodacom and MTN.
About the survey
The MyBroadband Wireless Broadband Survey aims to assist consumers to make informed and appropriate choices when looking for a wireless mobile service. The survey is in its third year.
The results are captured from live performance tests conducted by real-world users, as well as testing under laboratory conditions, he says. The service was tested by more than 1 500 broadband users, Muller says.
While the final calculation is weighted toward performance, cost and reliability, many other factors are taken into account, he says.
The full report is available on the MyBroadband Web site.
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