Every business could use Wireless Internet connectivity – if it means quicker turn-around, coverage or even as a back-up to a fixed line, the options exist. But with all the providers to choose from the choice can seem complicated.

Fortunately, we’re here to simplify the process and answer the most common questions you need to know before deciding on a suitable solution and providers for your business. Browse through the options and be sure to play around with the search option, too!

PS. If you want to know WHY we’ve asked this information, navigate to the bottom of the page for the reasons why it should matter to you!

Want to find a Wireless provider near you? Click here to go to the Directory.

So, you want to know why you need to know this information?

Well, we have consulted with hundreds of businesses to understand their main criteria when comparing Wireless Internet offers. We’ve tried our best to describe why we believe each point is valid.

• Is an Operator or Reseller? – Simply put, an Operator is licensed by the regulator in South Africa, ICASA, and may build their own Fibre infrastructure and network, and will be responsible for the network management and monitoring. This carries a significant investment and responsibility. Resellers may leverage an Operator to provide services on top of the Operators infrastructure. Whilst they may or may not do their own billing, Resellers have no control over the Operators network.
• WAPA Member – The team over here are big supporters of the Wireless Access Providers Association (WAPA) in South Africa. We agree with the code of conduct they have their members subscribe to, and operate a great community which is beneficial for the providers, and for customers as this may provide another level of accountability for the Wireless Provider. Feel free to visit WAPA’s website here: https://wapa.org.za/
• Coverage Map – Whilst the rollout of Fibre infrastructure is well underway, there’s no guarantee that’s it is available in your area. It is best to check the Coverage Map of the provider to make sure that they, or their infrastructure provider, has Fibre in the area and that the feasibility study has been completed.
• Coverage Map – Whilst the rollout of Fibre infrastructure is well underway, there’s no guarantee that’s it is available in your area. It is best to check the Coverage Map of the provider to make sure that they, or their infrastructure provider, has Fibre in the area and that the feasibility study has been completed.
• Packages and Rates – You need to calculate your usage demands (in terms of speed) and how much data your business may end up using. It is also important to understand whether there is any contention ratio with your service, which would mean that you would share the same connection with other businesses at times. All of these factors come into play when selecting the right package for your business.
• Setup Fee – It is important to ask your provider what it is going to cost to join their network. That may be for service activation, installation, any hardware required, and more.
• Free Services – Who doesn’t want to get more value from their service? Some providers may offer services which appeal to you, or fit in with your business strategy, for example, Cloud services. When engaging with your Provider be sure to ask them everything that they can offer or provide over that Wireless link, and see which of those you stand to benefit from.
• Contract Term – Get to know how long you are committed for, and what your notice period would be – check your contract terms and conditions and be 100% sure of the automatic contract renewal terms of cancellation fees.
• SLA – You need to have this discussion with your Partner. Is there an SLA? Will that give you a guaranteed support response? Does it include all the fees, including callouts? All of these are valuable questions you need to ask and keep a record of at your office!