ZANOG: Connecting Township Networks

90% of the homes in South Africa do not have WiFi and consequently pay up to 50 time more for data than those who have WiFi...

• Africans use as much mobile data as Europeans but 5% of the fixed broadband data because the fixed broadband infrastructure is not there.
• When considering internet revenue potential per hectare rather than per home, 8 million households are economically viable for a fixed broadband connection in South Africa.
• Billing models need to address the African informal sachet economy. Daily per device pay as you go billing.
• Project Isizwe has developed a model whereby schools are funding by community WiFi at R5 per day per device.
• South Africa has the lowest internet access price at data centres in Africa
• Low earth orbit satellites will have a major impact on fixed broadband to Africa as long as the allow aggregation.