Wireless broadband would be an effective technology in previously disadvantaged areas. However, modem prices are still too high, said executives from Kyocera, Arraycomm and Wireless Business Solutions (WBS).
In a statement to the media at the fifth iBurst Global Forum in Sandton today, Kyocera chairman and CEO Yasuo Nishiguchi emphasised the benefits of deploying wireless broadband infrastructure.
Wireless broadband infrastructure saves money in terms of equipment costs and time, he said. He expressed the hope that government would take strong leadership and implement the infrastructure.
Dr Martin Cooper, chairman of Arraycomm, said he had met with Nishiguchi, WBS CEO Thami Mtshali and deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. The deputy president had presented the challenges SA`s education system faces in terms of resources and the need for broadband access.
A proposal showing that broadband can be deployed cost-effectively to schools and still service commercial needs would be presented to the deputy president, Cooper said.
However, it was noted that the cost of modems is high when compared with DSL, standing in the way of adoption by individuals. All technology, including mobile phones, costs more in the beginning, Cooper said. As the adoption rate increases, prices will come down, he concluded.
Revised roll-out
ITWeb asked Allan Knott-Craig Jnr, MD of WBS, what measures the company would take to help drive down broadband costs locally and encourage broadband penetration.
He said the company was revising its infrastructure roll-out plans in order to take the needs of previously disadvantaged communities into consideration. However, he would not provide concrete details of the plans.
"We don`t want to make false promises, so we will communicate the details once the plans have been finalised," he said.
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