Книга: Telecommunications in South Africa: South African Wireless Community Networks, Ptawug, Telephone Numbers in South Africa

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: South African Wireless Community Networks, Ptawug, Telephone Numbers in South Africa, Internet in South Africa, Hellkom. Excerpt: South African wireless community networks are wireless networks that allow members to talk, send messages, share files and play games independent of the commercial landline and mobile telephone networks. Most of them use WiFi technology and many are wireless mesh networks. A wireless community network may connect to the public switched telephone network and/or the Internet, but there are various restrictions on connectivity in South Africa. Wireless community networks are particularly useful in areas where commercial telecommunications services are unavailable or unaffordable. Development of Wireless User Group (WUG) infrastructure and applications in the cities helps train members in wireless technology skills and provides a proving ground for new technology and applications that may have large social benefits in informal communities and rural areas of South Africa and neighboring countries. South Africa has the best developed and most modern telephone system in Africa. There are almost 110 combined fixed-line and cellular telephones per 100 persons. There are 5.1 million Internet users. The network is 99.9% digital. The fixed-line monopoly of Telkom SA, a listed company in which the government is the largest shareholder, expired with the licensing of Neotel as South Africa's second national operator, starting operations in November 2007. Neotel is licensed to provide the entire range of telecoms services with the exception of full mobility. Neotel is expanding their network fast, but so far is concentrating on urban areas. The South African mobile communications market is growing fast. The country's three cell... More: booksllc.net/?id=20514243