More information about Web Africa ! ADSL / Fibre / LTE

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Uncapped ADSL

Uncapped ADSL is an "all you can download ADSL" connection for a set fee per month.

The service provider normally limits the speeds during certain times of the day by placing speeds limits on certain services such as Bittorrents (peer-to-peer file sharing) while giving priority to services such as Voice-over-IP or Youtube.

The limitation is done by "shaping". Shaping is a fair practice in South Africa. Bandwidth is not cheap and the service providers have in fact created a system whereby users benefit.

Capped ADSL

Capped ADSL is unshaped. A user can download as much data as quickly as their line permits until the allocated amount of data is depleted. After the data is depleted, the user is either blocked from accessing the Internet, or their line speed is shaped to a lower speed.

What is needed for an ADSL Internet?

• A telephone account with Telkom
• An ADSL connection from Telkom on that telephone line
• An ADSL modem
• An account with an Internet Service Provider (ISP)

What is 1Mbps, 2Mbps, 4Mbps, 10Mbps, 20Mbps, 40Mbps and so on?

This is the speed at which data is received from the ISP.

Mbps means Megabits per second.

The higher the speed, the more data you receive in a period of time. 2Mbps is twice as fast as a 1Mbps line.

ISPs that prioritise Youtube will offer great performance at 1Mbps unless they shape the line to a very low speed.

Youtube recommends 500Kbps as a minimum speed to watch Youtube on Windows and 1Mbps for Mac. However, it is best to get a minimum of 1.5Mbps for Standard HD, and 5Mbps for HD content for better quality with minimum disruptions (buffering).

What is Fibre Internet?

 The latest advancement in broadband technology, fibre optic broadband is promising super-fast speeds for all of your daily internet needs. Its name comes from the use of plastic or glass cables, which allow for faster data transfer compared to the standard copper wires which are used in regular broadband connections.

• This technology offers several benefits, such as clarity and reliability in data transfer. One of the reasons for this is that glass cannot conduct electricity, so electrical storms, for instance, will cause less interference on the lines.
• Data can travel up to 50 km to/from an exchange before any form of degradation in speed takes place! So it does not matter how far you are from your exchange.
• Fibre cabling itself is similar in price to the copper used for ADSL, but much easier to maintain.
• You do not need a landline to access the internet with Fibre.
• And the best part about Fibre is that new ways might be found to transmit light data even faster without the infrastructure becoming redundant.
• There are capped and uncapped options.

Fibre is available in the following speeds: 2, 4, 8, 10, 20, 40, 50 and 100 Mbps (depending on Fibre provider).

What is LTE / LTE-A Internet?

LTE is a cellular technology, and is completely wireless.

LTE, also known as 4G, is a modern and powerful high-speed broadband technology that’s completely wireless, giving you improved functionality and performance. It’s faster than any 3G connection, offering maximum download speeds of up to 90Mbps and upload speeds of up to 25Mbps, with average download speeds of between 10 and 25Mbps.

LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) is a more advanced version of LTE and is sometimes referred to as 4.5G.

Wireless LTE-A offers one of the fastest internet connections in South Africa, with maximum download speeds of up to 150Mbps and average download speeds of between 20 and 40Mbps. Owing to its faster speeds, LTE-A cannot be received on a normal LTE router.