Wireless broadband offers savings

TELECOMS

Cable theft continues to have a majorly disruptive effect on South African businesses and on the country’s economy as a whole. Telkom, the country’s largest fixed line communications operator, says this issue is to blame for more than half the line faults. 

The City of Tshwane recently reported a R26 million (over USD3m) loss due to cable theft in that area. However, the problem is not just limited to one region, but spans urban and rural communities all across South Africa. Every month, the country loses approximately R20 million because of copper theft.

It’s a seemingly endless cycle, because as long as the metal continues to command reasonable prices from buyers, cables will hold an irresistible lure to thieves. And if the nabbed copper happens to form part of a communications infrastructure, businesses will continue to lose money each time the thieves strike.

That is why companies should seriously consider switching to wireless broadband solutions. According to local wireless provider Skywire, moving to wireless will not mean compromised call quality.

"Companies are always in search of a better deal than what is currently on offer from the fixed line operators," says Jaco Visagie, one of Skywire’s executive directors.

"However, while savings are important, clients are not prepared to compromise on call quality. Our product, Skyconnect, can reduce your telephone bill and deliver carrier-grade voice quality. With broadband being so highly in demand, Skyconnect has a direct link into the Local SAIX Network. This provides Skyconnect with the huge discount on broadband that we pass onto our clients, to ensure the lowest possible Internet break out fees in South Africa."

Skywire is an innovative company that provides wireless and microwave-based broadband and telecommunications services to South African businesses, large and small. Visagie adds the market for wireless telecommunication and broadband data services is still wide open.

"The wireless market is even more exciting due to the lower turnaround time needed in terms of delivery and deployment of infrastructure. With wireless technology, previously under-serviced areas can now be reached. Wireless technology is not prone to theft like the copper and fibre networks and it's not affected by rising acid mine water. As the Skywire customer base grows, costs decrease through economies of scale."

He says customers have no need to throw away their existing telecoms investments and that they will immediately see real savings. "There is instantaneous savings on your phone bill. Once the Skyconnect system is up and running, dramatic drops in costs can be seen. The underlying technology that is used in Skyconnect's platform is mature and proven in the industry. It is currently in use by many South African companies who are enjoying savings of up to 35% across the board. All this translates to a substantial bottom line saving per year. Return on investment can be seen from month one as the monthly savings achieved exceeds the equipment and backhaul costs."