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New countdown
ADSL South Africa (Broadband South Africa), 7 August
2007
A new
countdown started when Neotel ‘…set a new timeline
for the launch of its residential high-speed Internet services’ (Neotel sets high-speed Internet launch date of
September, MyBroadband, 31 July 2007).
‘The latest date for the availability of services, designed to compete
with Telkom’s offerings, is now September 2007’ (Neotel sets high-speed Internet launch
date of September, MyBroadband, 31 July 2007).
In other words, we can expect to see the launch of Neotel’s high-speed Internet
service in September this year.
Why push the launch date back again?
Factors beyond Neotel’s control forced them to push the launch date back
again…
ICASA’s failure to allocate 800 MHz spectrum to Neotel in time was one of the factors
that helped to push the launch date back.
Is Neotel’s WiMAX rollout on track?
Yes.
According to Neotel: “We are working, in
parallel, towards the deployment of our true broadband services around the end of the year. A lot of the work that
has gone into our CDMA services deployment, particularly for the processes and systems, can be easily replicated
for the deployment of WiMAX services as well. This is contributing to the timely readiness of our WiMAX services”
(Neotel sets high-speed Internet launch date of September, MyBroadband, 31 July 2007).
In other words, if we can take Neotel’s word for it, their WiMAX services’ rollout is
on track.
Have they already introduced National Leased Line services,
etc?
Yes.
‘The company said that they have already introduced Wholesale International Transit
services (for both Voice and IP Transit), as well as National Leased Line services. These services have offered
customers, for the first time, true alternative infrastructure in the country’ (Neotel sets high-speed Internet
launch date of September, MyBroadband, 31 July 2007).
In other words, Neotel already offers real alternatives to some of the
products and services Telkom offers.
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