Facts & Statistics

Broadband usage and penetration in South Africa

Broadband penetration and broadband usage (ADSL and wireless) is touted to increase strongly over the next three years, as broadband prices continue to drop. This will have ripple effects on online e-commerce and shopping behaviour by increasing time spent by consumers online.

Faster broadband penetration and takeup might be realised and long fixed line ADSL installations a thing of the past - currently consumers opt for alternative broadband services such as HSDPA or iBurst or Sentech, but with the launch of WiMax faster broadband penetration can become a reality. However, there are cheaper alternatives to WiMax, says Bertus van Jaarsveld (CEO of Miro Distribution), speculating that WiMax is likely be a techonology for the few.

Broadband TV watching is set to increase from 10 million users to 60 million users in 2010 and 97 million users in 2011 - worldwide, of course. This will happen as there is increasing convergence between traditional TV and internet video. Job creation and international competitiveness in the local call centre industry should receive a boost through Telkoms announcement of a 30% price cut on international bandwidth, effective 1 May 2007. (source: ioltechnology)

• Official figures put broadband growth at 38% in 2006, (broadband penetration now at ~1%) but SA is slipping behind other African countries Source: IOL Technology: SA plummets down the African broadband league
  
  
• Telkom expected to launch Wi-fi product in May 2007. Rollout will begin in Gauteng and along coast, with urban and peri-urban areas the first to benefit from wi-fi access. Telkom says 1/3 of its network infrastructure is to be NGN-based (next generation network) by 2011, thus offering increased mobile broadband access (Source: ITWEB)
  
• Internet Solutions (IS) is also upbeat about its broadband testing and will be offering its own WiMax broadband accounts
  
  
• April 25, 2007 Telkom SA Ltd. has selected Alvarions BreezeMAX 3.5 GHZ product and will start rolling out its WiMAX network to boost wireless broadband levels. Gauteng and coastal regions are the first to see deployment of WiMAX. (Source: Businesswire.com)
  
• Municipal Broadband Penetration
  19 April, 2007: City of Cape Town plans a R400 million project to have its own broadband network by 2009 which would connect various utilties and administration buildings. Planned coverage would stretch about 300km through various suburbs.
  Tshwane has promised to provide each of its residents an e-mail address and broadband service by 2010, while connecting more than 300 of its municipal buildings with internet services. Buffalo City, eThekwini and Johannesburg already have wireless networks of their own. (Source: AllAfrica & Cape Argus
  
  
• April 2007: 802.16D fixed WiMax Technology tested by Telkom in Pretoria, as well as in Centurion. Some 400 customers were involved and speeds tested were wireless broadband of 512Kbps
  
  
  
• New-generation WiMax standard, 802.16E, expected to launch in SA by Motorola. (Source: ITWEB)
  



• Altech and Samsung are to build a trial network which is to be commissioned in June 2007. Broadband cover will initially be in Johannesburg and will be based on the WiMAX standard 802.16e. Wireless delivery of video, Internet access and VOIP will be tested on both handsets as well as PCs. (Source: Engineering News)


• Between 2004 and 2006 wireless penetration went from 5% of corporates to 59%.



• Telkoms target is 680 000 ADSL lines, or a 15-20% penetration rate by December 2008. 4000 fixed broadband installations per week is the current rate which is being "promised" by Telkom. (Source: MyADSL )


• Broadband penetration is only 0.2% according to this article
  
  
• In December 2005 - South Africa had only 230 000 broadband users. Broadband penetration rate was approximately 0.5%. Telkom was SAs only fixed broadband provider. (Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)



• 116,000 ADSL subscribers at the end of December 2005 (Source: Point-topic.com)



• March 2005 - 58 532 ADSL broadband users according to Telkom (source: http://www.mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=435)
  81 510 broadband subscribers in total. 10,2% of all internet subscribers were broadband subscribers.
• From the Executive Summary of Budde Comms 2006 Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Africa:
  
  Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland report
  
  "...Under Telkoms monopoly rule, fixed-line teledensity has continuously fallen since 2000, while a mobile market penetration approaching 70% is increasingly forcing the three network operators to find innovative ways of distinguishing themselves from the competition. The Internet sector has been stagnant due to an expensive operating environment created by Telkom\’s dominance in the fixed-line and bandwidth market. Mobile data traffic has seen a significant increase in 2005 following the introduction of Third Generation (3G) services. Sweeping liberalisation measures taken in 2005, legalising - among other things - the use of VoIP Internet telephony, are set to change the country’s telecoms landscape fundamentally..."
  Purchase the 2007 Report (Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Africa Lesotho, South Africa and Swaziland)
  
• Vodacom launches SA\s first commercial 3G network in December 2004
  
• Other Broadband Resources
  
  More on South Africa broadband importance and diffusion
  More Broadband in South Africa news