Q&A: MWEB Connect’s General Manager

With broadband becoming more affordable and users taking to the Internet for all sorts of activities, IT News Africa spoke to Carolyn Holgate, MWEB Connect’s General Manager, about Internet speeds in Africa, government’s assessment of broadband and where MWEB is going in the future.

* Over the last couple of months, why have broadband prices come down so much?

The recent wave of ADSL price cuts are a factor of the IPC discounts received earlier this year. IPC costs are a large portion of the cost of providing ADSL services to the market and, as a result, we have been able to pass these savings on to our customers in the form of price cuts and free speed upgrades.

* Is government accurate in their assessment of what speed constitutes  “broadband”?

In the South African ADSL market we are seeing entry level products move towards 1Mbps and similarly on the Mobile Data Products (3G) speeds are well above 256Kbps. If we look at the types of Internet activities that consumers are engaging in – like live streaming, online gaming and social media such as  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the creation of shared user generated content, a 256Kbps connection will not deliver an acceptable experience for the end user.

* When do you think Africa will catch up to the rest of the world in terms of pricing and speed?

To compare Africa to more developed nations and categorise the whole of Africa as being slow and expensive is not necessarily true.

Africa has some of the fastest broadband speeds and the cheapest, most affordable packages available.  The service that you need and the price you pay for that service really depends on what you do with the Internet. When looking at the lower end of the market, Africa has some affordable broadband packages.

* What needs to happen for further price drops in broadband pricing in SA?

An immediate opportunity for further price drops would be naked ADSL and the unbundling of the local loop.  This would allow the end consumer to have an ADSL service without the additional cost of a Telkom voice line.

* What sets MWEB’s offerings apart from anything else that is available on the market?

•          Network quality – An ADSL service that is not throttled,with no daily download limits and speed restrictions based on individual usage patterns.

•          1st Tier Network – Our international capacity and recently upgraded 10Gbps national links, make MWEB one of the largest and fastest networks in the country.

•          Excellent customer service – Our dedicated staff are well trained and are able to help our customers via social media, over the phone and in our retail stores.

•          MWEB GameZone – Largest selection of PC gaming servers in South Africa (Over 60 titles on 180+ servers) and gaming is prioritised on our network.

•          A range of free value added services – such as Uncapped Hosting, Store-it, 5 hours Wi-Fi and now MWEB Talk.

* What is one of your biggest challenges as GM of South Africa?

I am the GM of MWEB’s consumer and SOHO (Small Office/ Home Office) division. With my role comes many challenges, tied in with many  rewards.  Launching a new product and being able to meet market demands is probably the most difficult area to perfect, but we have a dedicated team of staff that are used to long nights and last minute changes in order to do what is best for the market.

* Where would you like to see the future of broadband in SA?

Affordable, good quality access for all and starting at schools.

* Does MWEB have any expansion plans into the rest of Africa?

No, not at this stage.

* On your website it states that you have over 320 000 customers. Have you seen a surge in broadband subscriptions over the last couple of months?

Yes, our uncapped ADSL products continually to perform well and are therefore in demand.

* What is your long-term strategy for MWEB

It is difficult to make long terms plans in this industry, which changes day-by-day, but I can assure you we are working on one or two new exciting products and we certainly aim to stay at the forefront of innovation and technology as well to fight the consumer cause to bring down ADSL prices.

Charlie Fripp – Consumer Tech editor