So what are the alternatives until we get FTTH? Luckily there are some:
ADSL/VDSL
Yes, this seems obvious, but unfortunately only applies to those lucky who can at least get 10Mbit ADSL or VDSL (20 or 40Mbit).
- Pros:
- semi-available (speeds differ from street to street - e.g. VDSL won't be available everywhere in Richwood)
- Cons:
- dependent of Telkom (think twice about this)
- requires a DSL Line
- higher latency
- no guaranteed bandwidth
- relatively expensive
- Costs: R1767 for a bundled and uncapped/unthrottled VDSL line from Afrihost
LTE
Again, high-speed coverage may vary. Very flexible installation though. Anyone with experience on how well Netflix works on LTE?
- Pros:
- cheapest solution
- easiest to setup (e.g. no installation needed)
- Cons:
- unreliable / speeds can differ greatly
- no uncapped nor unthrottled offerings
- Costs: R799 for a throttled and capped package from Telkom
Wireless (Wifi point-to-point)
You guessed it: no coverage guaranteed (see how important FTTH is?)
- Pros:
- available
- guaranteed bandwidth
- low latency
- if you can spend the money, you can achieve 100 Mbit already now
- Cons:
- can be unstable (due to interferences)
- most expensive
- quite intensive/complex installation required
- Costs: R1553 for a 20Mbit uncapped/unthrottled Line from Wibre
- Please see this following thread for some recommendations: https://www.facebook.com/Richwood.WC/posts/10156712943947953
Please use the comments below to share your experience :)