Users can expect affordable bandwidth, greater choice and increased service flexibility in the coming years, delegates at iWeek 2004 in Johannesburg were told this week.
Speakers addressed the topic: "What will the Internet industry look like in 2007?"
Sentech MyWireless portfolio manager Winston Smith believes market competitiveness will increase significantly, resulting in a host of options. "First of all, Telkom will no longer be king of the hill. From a consumer perspective, there will be multiple wireless broadband services accompanied by more affordable bandwidth. I think that users will complain that 1Mb is a pathetic Internet service."
Users can also expect voice, data and video services to be provided on a single platform. Internet Protocol (IP) will be the dominant medium for telecoms services, he says, adding that 20% of total voice calls will be unmanaged and IP-based.
On the topic of voice over IP (VOIP), Smith says one of the most important factors about new age IP services involves the billing platform selected, and he believes data services will be billed or offered in packages similar to mobile voice.
By 2007, VOIP will only appeal as part of a bundled solution, he predicts. "It will definitely be used, but it won`t be lucrative on its own. Consumers will want to use voice over any platform."
Looking further into the future, Cape Information Technology Initiative executive director Masedi Molosiwa says the Internet industry will become pervasive. "By 2012, I expect to see 95% PC penetrations and all government services to be available online."
Molosiwa also predicts that local phone calls (those within a 50km radius) will be free, and that Internet banking penetration will exceed 50%.
Moving closer to present day, Smith suggests that users not anticipate any real bandwidth price drop in the short-term. "For the next year at least, what should happen is that we will increase the value of the service to the consumer rather than just decreasing the price. This will mean you will get a better service for the same price. So price will not likely come down in the next year, in my opinion."
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