he first time I went freelance as a journalist my single biggest expense was my phone bill. Not because I was spending a lot of time on the phone (which I was), but because in those days the only Internet connectivity was dial-up.
So I upgraded to an ISDN line (basically digital dial-up) and paid a higher monthly rental but got a faster line. The second time I went freelance, I ended up starting my own small business. By then ADSL had just launched and I thought I had scored by getting it for R1 000 a month. Compared to my R800 monthly bill, the extra R200 was worth it because I was getting always-on, 24-hour access.
South Africa is the only country in the world with more wireless broadband users than wired, says Rudolph Muller of MyBroadband.co.za. While most mature telecoms markets have something like 98% wired broadband users, South Africa has more like 60%.
Cellular operators have launched third-generation (3G) networks designed specifically for data transfer (2G is voicecentric). Now there are even faster 3.5G networks using high-speed packet access (HSPA), which replaces the HSDPA acronym you'll have seen because it included both downlink and uplink broadband speeds. This boom in wireless broadband has had an unexpected effect for many consumers, but especially for small businesses. I am able to work anywhere at any time of day because of my Vodacom 3G datacard. As long as I have battery life, that is.
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Apart from saving those otherwise wasted half hours before meetings across town or evading the Eskom blackouts by being able to gridhop to suburbs with power (laptop charger in hand obviously), such abundant wireless has other significant benefits for productivity. I stopped using a smartphone with e-mail capabilities nearly two years ago simply because I could check my e-mail using my laptop and datacard anywhere. I know many small business owners, and freelancers, who have a 3G card as their primary Internet connectivity for the simple reason that they can use it both at work and at home. ADSL may remain the best value for money and the most reliable (in terms of infrastructure), but nothing beats the convenience of a 3G datacard.
I use a combination of ADSL and a 3G card, and if I were doing it all again I'd use one provider for my cellphone, 3G card and ADSL line. This not only consolidates your suppliers and gives you one bill (one bill is easier to pay than three), but ensures you get better service as with three products you're a higher value customer to any provider, able to work anywhere.
www.itsmybusiness.co.za
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