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 South Africa - Broadband and Internet Market and Forecasts
Synopsis
South Africa's Internet and broadband market has finally taken off after years of stagnation due to an expensive operating environment created by Telkom SA's dominance in the fixed-line and international bandwidth market. Wireless broadband, including 3G mobile data services now rival available ADSL offerings in terms of both speed and price, and consequently subscriber numbers. With its fixed-line network reaching less than 10% of the population, the incumbent has reacted by launching its own 3G network and the country's first commercial WiMAX service, but various competitors are hard on its heels rolling out the same technology, including second national operator Neotel.
A new converged licensing regime has created hundreds of companies licensed to offer Internet services. There has been consolidation in the sector which is expected to continue.
The arrival of the Seacom and EASSy international submarine fibre-optic cables in South Africa in 2009 and 2010 has brought down the cost of international bandwidth dramatically. Previously, Telkom had been monopolising access to the only major cable serving the country, SAT-3/WASC/SAFE. More international cables are scheduled to go live in 2011 and 2012.
Last Update: 15 Dec 2010 Number of Pages: 25
Single User: USD $195.00 ex-GST View Table of Contents
South Africa - Convergence - VoIP, NGN and Digital Media
Synopsis
With its relatively well-developed and diverse infrastructure, South Africa is taking a regional lead role in the convergence of telecommunication and information technologies with the media and entertainment sector, promising reductions in telecommunication costs and better availability of information and services. Digital media and social media have reached a level of development to foster an associated advertising and marketing industry. The FIFA World Cup held in the country in 2010 has showcased these developments.
The legalisation of VoIP Internet telephony in 2005 marked the beginning of a fundamental change in the country's telecoms landscape. Billions of dollars are being invested into IP-based next-generation networks that are capable of delivering converged services more efficiently. Telecom carriers and ISPs are moving into delivering audio and video content over their networks, while in turn the traditional electronic media carriers have discovered the potential of their infrastructure for telecommunications service delivery.
While South Africa lags behind other countries on the continent in the development of e-government, e-health and e-learning applications, it is a regional leader in the areas of electronic banking and mobile banking services.
Last Update: 15 Dec 2010 Number of Pages: 22
Single User: USD $180.00 ex-GST View Table of Contents
South Africa - Fixed-line Market and Infrastructure - Overview and Statistics
Synopsis
South Africa's second national operator Neotel is gaining traction in the market in competition with Telkom SA. It is using wireless technologies such as CDMA and WiMAX to provide alternatives to the incumbent's copper access network, but had only acquired a market share of little more than 1% in this market segment by 2010. Having bought and leased national fibre infrastructure from parastatals Transtel and Eskom and building its own fibre backbone network in parallel, Neotel is mainly operating as a provider of wholesale national and international connectivity to the business sector.
In addition, the government has created Broadband InfraCo, a national infrastructure company to provide cheap backbone network capacity to service providers, and the major mobile network operators, Vodacom and MTN, are moving into the fixed-line and national fibre sector under a new converged, service-neutral licensing regime. Despite the significantly increased competition between different service providers, many municipalities in South Africa, including the country's largest cities, are implementing their own fibre and wireless broadband networks.
All of the major players are involved in the various international submarine fibre optic cables that have reached the country in the past two years. The arrival of Seacom as the second international cable in 2009 has brought down the cost of international bandwidth dramatically. Previously, Telkom had been monopolising access to the only major cable serving the country, SAT-3/WASC/SAFE. A third international cable, EASSy landed in 2010, and more are scheduled to go live in 2011 and 2012.
Last Update: 15 Dec 2010 Number of Pages: 28
Single User: USD $170.00 ex-GST View Table of Contents
South Africa - Key Statistics, Telecom Market and Regulatory Overviews
Synopsis
South Africa's telecom sector boasts the continent's most advanced networks in terms of technology deployed and services provided. In a virtually saturated voice market, four mobile networks are competing for market share in the next growth wave, mobile broadband. Following years of delays with its licensing, the second fixed-line operator Neotel is gaining traction in the market in competition with Telkom SA. This, in combination with other sweeping liberalisation measures - also delayed by years - has changed the country's telecoms landscape fundamentally and brought prices down. Under a converging regulatory regime, hundreds of alternative service providers are now pushing into the market with converged services.
The end of Telkom's monopoly on international submarine fibre-optic cables has reduced the cost of telecommunication in South Africa dramatically. Several additional cables are scheduled to land in 2011 and 2012.
Key regulatory events shaping the market in 2011 will be the complete unbundling of the local loop, the staged reduction of interconnect charges, the auctioning of WiMAX and LTE spectrum, and a deadline for mobile subscribers to register their personal details with service providers under new legislation, which could lead to a significant drop in mobile penetration.
Last Update: 15 Dec 2010 Number of Pages: 23
Single User: USD $165.00 ex-GST View Table of Contents
South Africa - Mobile Market - Overview, Statistics and Forecasts
Synopsis
South Africa has a vibrant mobile market that has seen rapid uptake since competition was introduced to the sector in the 1990s. With market penetration around 100% in 2010, the network operators - Vodacom, MTN, Cell C and Telkom SA - are increasingly forced to find innovative ways of distinguishing themselves from the competition in order to gain and retain customers. In addition, Virgin has entered the market as a MVNO. 3G/HSPA mobile broadband services now rival available DSL fixed-line offerings in terms of both speed and price, and consequently subscriber numbers. 2010 also saw the first trials of the next generation of mobile technology, LTE (also referred to as 4G) in South Africa.
While emerging as the country's leading broadband providers, the major mobile operators are also branching out into fixed-lines, fibre backbone networks, international fibre connectivity, mobile banking and entertainment in a rapidly converging environment. Fixed-line incumbent Telkom SA has reacted by launching its own 3G mobile network.
Last Update: 15 Dec 2010 Number of Pages: 27
Single User: USD $185.00 ex-GST View Table of Contents
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