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Paper-based ADSL prepaid vouchers
ADSL South Africa (Broadband South Africa), 27 July
2007
Two South African ISPs, Axxess and DotCo, recently introduced a first for South Africa,
paper-based prepaid ADSL vouchers, to the South
African ADSL market. ADSL users responded positively to this development as can be seen in the uptake as well as
feedback received.
What are paper-based prepaid ADSL
vouchers?
Paper-based ADSL top up vouchers are similar to talk time
vouchers.
‘Prepaid ADSL accounts are commonplace in the
ISP space, but DotCo and Axxess took this concept one step further by launching pre-paid vouchers similar to the
talk time vouchers which are available in the cellular market’ (Prepaid ADSL bandwidth vouchers a hit, MyBroadband,
18 July 2007).
In other words, paper-based prepaid ADSL vouchers are a means of topping up your
bandwidth without having to buy an ADSL voucher online.
So the uptake and feedback are positive. Can you tell us
more?
Sure.
Johan Ferreira, Managing Director of Dotco responded: “Our customers love it! By far most customers still buy top ups over the Internet with
their credit cards, but at the last count 510 physical vouchers have been sold and redeemed” (Prepaid ADSL
bandwidth vouchers a hit, MyBroadband, 18 July 2007).
In other words, Dotco already sold 510 paper-based vouchers despite the fact that the
majority of customers still prefer to top up over the Internet.
Ferreira added: “We have
also distributed 7,500 not-for-sale 0.5 GB vouchers. Some of them to our loyal customers and some for promotion.
Many of them have been redeemed. We plan to distribute more vouchers for an upcoming promotion effort” (Prepaid
ADSL bandwidth vouchers a hit, MyBroadband, 18 July 2007).
In other words, 7 500 not-for-sale ½ GB vouchers exchanged hands in an effort to aid
promotional efforts and to reward some customers for their loyalty, and we haven’t seen the end of that
yet.
‘Axxess says that the sale of their pre-paid vouchers - available from all
participating Engen filling stations - has been much better than anticipated’ (Prepaid ADSL bandwidth vouchers a
hit, MyBroadband, 18 July 2007).
In other words, Axxess’s prepaid ADSL vouchers are flying off the shelves at
participating Engen filling stations faster than anticipated.
How are ADSL voucher resellers responding to this development in the ADSL
market?
Positive.
‘According to Ferreira the feedback from resellers has been very encouraging, and his
company even had to appoint a new employee who exclusively deals with voucher resellers’ (Prepaid ADSL bandwidth
vouchers a hit, MyBroadband, 18 July 2007).
In other words, resellers seem to be positive about the prospects of ADSL vouchers and at least one
job opportunity was created in the process so far.
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