Uncapped Internet off the beaten path in South Africa

While South Africans living in remote areas with low population numbers are often unserved by cellular or fibre service providers, alternatives like wireless Internet service providers (Wisps) and satellite Internet service providers can help these people get connected.

It can be financially challenging for mobile and fibre network operators to roll out infrastructure to these areas. Still, Wisps and satellite Internet providers generally target this part of the market.

Wisp Internet connectivity works by beaming a signal from a cellular tower in the area to an antenna installed at the customer’s premises.

While this can transmit a data signal over large distances, it requires a reliable line of sight between the antenna and the tower.

Several Wisps are available to South Africans living in far-reaching, remote areas. These include providers like Herotel, Level-7, WiruLink, Ibits, and e-WISP.

Entry download speeds generally start at 4Mbps or 5Mbps, depending on the provider. MyBroadband compared Wisp packages based on speeds and price.

Level-7 offers the most affordable Wisp package, R299 per month for a package with 5Mbps download and 2Mbps upload, followed by e-WIPS’s symmetrical 4Mbps package, R375 per month.

Ibits is in third place with a package offering 10Mbps download for R398 per month. However, it doesn’t specify the package’s upload speed.

Hero Wireless offers four packages under 10Mbps: its 4Mbps package at R499 per month, its 6Mbps product at R699 per month, its 8Mbps plan at R849 per month, and its 10Mbps package at R999 per month.

Those looking for higher speeds will have to look at providers like Ibits, Level-7, and WiruLink.

Ibits and Level-7’s 20Mbps packages are highly competitive with one another, with just R1 separating the monthly fees.

The Level-7 package offers a 5Mbps upload speed, while Ibits doesn’t specify an upload speed for its package.

WiruLink’s 20Mbps package with 5Mbps upload is priced at R999 per month.

Ibits also offers 30Mbps, 40Mbps, and 50Mbps, priced at R598, R698, and R798, respectively. It doesn’t specify an upload speed for any of these packages.

WiruLink’s packages go up to 100Mbps. Its 35Mbps package with 10Mbps upload is priced at R1,499, and its 50Mbps package offers a 15Mbps upload speed for R1,999.

WiruLink’s 100Mbps package has a maximum upload speed of 25Mbps and costs R2,699 per month.

The table below compares various uncapped Internet packages Wisps offer in South Africa.

Satellite Internet alternatives

While Starlink would be a fantastic option for people living in areas without mobile or fibre coverage, it isn’t legal in South Africa yet.

However, several other satellite Internet providers, including Vox and MorClick, tend to these market segments.

Through its Eutelsat products, Vox offers 5Mbps, 10Mbps, 20Mbps, 30Mbps, and 50Mbps packages. These are priced at R764, R1,261, R1,916, R2,498, and R3,807 per month, respectively.

Each package also carries a once-off R999 installation fee.

Vox also offers 10Mbps and 20Mbps packages through its YahClick offering, priced at R2,033 and R2,537, respectively. These also carry a once-off installation fee.

MorClick offers two uncapped packages: 10Mbps for R999 per month, and R20Mbps for R1,299 per month. A once-off installation fee of R2,500 is applicable to each package.

The table below compares download speeds, upload speeds, fair usage policies (FUPs), and prices for uncapped satellite Internet packages in South Africa.