iBurst increases coverage

By Damaria Senne, ITWeb senior journalist

Johannesburg, 29 May 2006

iBurst has expanded its wireless broadband access to Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Nelspruit.

"The expansion of iBurst`s coverage to the capitals of the Free State, Northern Cape and Mpumalanga signals our intention to actively sign up new customers outside of the major metropolitan areas," says Alan Knott-Craig, Jnr, MD of iBurst.

Linking the roll-out plan to communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri`s budget speech last week, Knott-Craig says nothing can give the heartland of SA faster access to a better quality of life than wireless broadband. He says the broadband expansion will particularly benefit small business owners.

Rudolph Muller, founder of MyADSL, notes that increasing broadband access in smaller towns will be good for the ICT sector in general, and the economy of those towns in particular.

"Access to wireless broadband will help reduce communications cost, which will in turn reduce operating costs for businesses in those towns," he says.

Muller urges broadband providers, including the 3G providers, to also expand to outside major metropolitan areas. Despite the fact that there is a demand, Vodacom is the only wireless broadband provider that has significant coverage outside major metropolitan areas, he says.

Sentech has previously stated its plans to extend broadband access to smaller towns and currently has coverage in Nelspruit. However, the expansion plan depends on funding, which Matsepe-Casaburri confirmed in her budget speech last week.

iBurst says it will roll-out in other provincial capitals in due course.