T for Technology – Get connected

Without a stable internet connection most of us stall. Our real-life highways have been replaced by the information superhighway recently. More people are working from home. Odds of everyone getting in a car and going to work is slim at best.

We need to look at ways of getting connected and stay connected. Having several ways of connecting is a must. Load shedding will be around for another few years. So, we must know what options are out there.

Dial-up turned into ISDN, ADSL turned into VDSL, LTE into 5G. Changes in the backbone technology of internet networks has resulted in increased speed and bandwidth availability for us normal home and small business users. I remember a time that we ran an entire office of 120 people on a 4mbps ADSL line, and everyone was okay. Now one person will be struggling to make it through a day with those “speeds”.

Fibre providers have rolled out in the populous metros at astounding rates. The footrace between Vumatel and Openserve was very apparent in Gauteng. Fibre networks has been a major factor in increasing speed and efficiency of other networks. Long range Wi-Fi radios are getting stronger and faster and work at unbelievably high data rates. Wireless technology increased the options for users for last mile networking as well as rapid network deployment. 

Consumer wise what are the options? Depends on the work you do. If you are not office bound and a true road warrior then one will look at mobile LTE options from one of the major network providers, Telkom, MTN and Vodacom. Here we will have to play off coverage area against price per GB. Only as recent as two years ago did we see uncapped options with the LTE network growing and now migrating to 5G. Usually contracts come with portable Wi-Fi routers that has a battery so you can take it, “everywhere you go”.

There are a few downsides to this method for high data users. FUP (Fair usage Policy) or AUP (acceptable usage policy) can be as confusing as any term in a big law handbook. What happens is that you get thresholds which needs to be adhered to or face penalties. This will start as a rate limitation usually half your assigned speed and eventually a complete disconnection. There are no mobile uncapped services that allows you to use the line as you want. As another pitfall you need to look at the package carefully.

There are some very well priced services that will allow you an uncapped service, but it does not allow you to move the router too far. You can’t take it on holiday in another province for instance. This is ideal for people working from home/office that needs a permanent fast connection but does not have fibre options.

Another options we have without digging trenches is Wi-Fi ISP or WISP (Wireless Internet Service Providers). These are guys that built their own networks and allows you to use them with CPE device (Customer Premise Equipment). This is a Wi-Fi device or antenna that needs to be installed usually outside of your building and allows the connection to be made to a distant tower. The price per MB and the speed on offer isn’t usually the best but offers a good alternative in areas that Mobile networks hasn’t covered as yet.

Fibre networks as mentioned has been largely the reason we have faster internet speeds. So why not have it pulled directly to home (FTTH) or business (FTTB). Now there are hundreds of suppliers of fibre services, all sitting on a couple of bigger networks. Openserve, MTN, Vodacom and Vumatel are the major players, and even though you might have subscribed through Afrihost or VOX, you are probably still one of these networks. It does require an installation of two routers so plan on where it needs to be installed, before the technician arrives. Fibre offers the maximum speeds at the best price. No FUP or AUP applies, so this is ideal for high data users or offices with several people using the same line. Fibre lines are coverage dependant so make sure there is coverage in your area before ordering. Installation is usually free and includes the routers as well as the installation fee, so don’t be scammed!

Last to mention is the incredible network Elon Musk is building through his Starlink network. Soon satellite services will be the way to go. On the ordering page it seems that it will be available throughout most of the world by end 2023. You can reserve your device for $99 already. Details on packages to be offered are still a bit vague. From videos of people using Starlink, it looks incredible.

Making internet connections at very high speeds possible in areas that were previously too remote to have any sort of service. The low orbit satellite system that is piggy backing on Space X rockets, every time one gets launched. Slowly distributing itself across the sky to form a mesh like blanket of satellites. Claiming less brightness on their satellites to preserve night sky for all to enjoy and satellites will burn up in the atmosphere 1-5 years after end of life. They are keeping space clean and saving the internet, one satellite at a time.