The post I wrote on Wednesday (24 September 2008) exposing the Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC) for misleading customers into thinking that a new Internet service it is set to provide was high speed broadband may have touched a few nerves.
The public relations people at SPTC went into hiding when the Times Sunday newspaper went in search of the truth.
This what the Times Sunday reported today (28 September 2008)
Broadband—at what speed?
By MANQOBA NXUMALO
MBABANE—Questions have been raised about the broadbrand service introduced by the Swaziland Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (SPTC).
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just broadband, is high-speed internet access—typically contrasted with dial-up access over a modem. Most people welcomed news that finally SPTC would be providing broadband because it is virtually difficult to get an internet connection in Swaziland, especially during peak hours on week days.
The only objection so far came from the association of internet service providers.
Dial-up modems are generally only capable of a maximum bitrate of 56 kbit/s (kilobits per second) and require the full use of a telephone line—whereas broadband technologies supply at least double this speed and generally without disrupting telephone use.
SPTC Corporate Affairs Manager Lindiwe Dlamini was this week quoted saying broadband will bring world markets to the homes of Swazis and that this new infrastructure has an economic spin-off for both small and big business.
She said it would also assist in government’s decentralisation process as it will provide more connectivity to rural areas and enable them to perform work that’s being done in offices in Mbabane, for instance.
However, this newspaper’s investigations have found that a speed of 128kbps is not a ‘broadband’ connection. In fact it is just a little bit faster than what we already have. In Swaziland top speeds on the Internet is about 30kbits, and our reliable source said this new speed is an improvement but it won’t deliver SPTC’s claim.
"Nowhere in the world would 128kbits be described as ‘broadband’," continued the source.
In the United Kingdom, departed UNISWA lecture Professor Rooney noted, companies that claimed an internet connection of 200 kbits (vastly more than SPTC offers) was ‘broadband’ were discredited. Even then, five years ago, ‘broadband’ was generally considered to start at 500kbits.
"Today, a typical broadband connection in the UK would be in the region of at least 2 000kbps (or 2mb). In some areas of the country it is possible to get connection speeds of 8,000kps (8mb). These figures make SPTC’s claim of 128kbps look ridiculous," said Prof. Rooney.
SPTC’s Lindiwe Dlamini was called for comment but this newspaper was told she was locked in a meeting on Friday. A lady who identified herself as Hleliwe said she would call back this reporter when Dlamini, but by the time of compiling this report, she still had not returned the call.
Link
http://www.times.co.sz/News/1760.html
See also
SWAZILAND’S INTERNET CON-TRICK
Hi,
ReplyDeleteit seems to me that some people talk about things they do know nothing about.
For years there is the problem with very slow INTERNET connection in Swaziland,nothing was done. To go from 56 to 128 bits will not make any difference. As INTERNET telephony will take over, a speed of at least 2000 bit is needed. Will it ever come to Swaziland in my liftime?