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ADSL Prices in South Africa

ADSL is an always on broadband solution to connect to the internet over standard copper telephone lines. It stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It is asymmetric because download speeds are faster than upload speeds. Some ADSL accounts are shaped. This means that some types of data will get a higher priority than other types of data. This usually means that normal browsing and email is not affected, but p2p or voip connections might be slower.
Costs are based on connection speed and the amount of data you can transfer in a month before your account is capped (cut off). An account can have either a hard cap (access is cut of completely), or a soft cap (access is limited).

How much does it cost?

A shaped 384kbps/128kbps permanent connection with 1GB of transferable data would cost approximately 245 + 100 + 100 = R445 per month. This would be the cheapest ADSL option.

Monthly costs consist of:

• ADSL line rental from Telkom
• Telephone line rental from Telkom
• ISP account from any ADSL Internet Service Provider.

The ISP provides the bandwidth so you can download/upload data, which they in turn buy from Telkom (SAIX), Internet Solutions (IS) or Verizon (UUNET). Without the ISP account, you cannot access the internet. There are many ISP's to choose from, some well known ones are MWeb and ABSA. Many ISP's offer additional services for lower rates, so shop around. See my ADSL ISP Comparison page.

What do I need?

You will need an ADSL modem. Some good modems are from DLink, Netgear or Billion. Prices range from about R300 to R500. You can also get a modem from Telkom, but it is generally considered to be an inferior product for an inflated price. You can get an ADSL modem at any computer store or online store like Sybaritic, Digital Planet , Jump Shopping or PCMall.co.za.
Telkom has a list of approved modems, but those are not the only modems that will work. If you are unsure if a specific modem will work or not, search or ask at the MyADSL Forum.

If you want to use the same line for ADSL and phone/fax, you might also need a micro filter for the line to separate the voice/fax/adsl signals. A surge protector would also be a good idea to protect the modem and the computer from any voltage spikes.

What else should I know?

You will have to pay for a normal telephone line even if you do not plan to use it for phone calls.

You should also be careful when you get one of the bundles or special offers from Telkom. Most of these offers include a 24 month contract. The bundled benefits and giveaways might seem like a good offer, but in the long run it might work out more expensive. The internet and telecommunications industry is undergoing huge changes and this will most likely result in lower costs to the consumer. The SNO will most likely have an effect from 2006. If prices get lower, you do not want to be tied to a lengthy contract.

If you want a low cost permanent connection, see the GPRS/3G cost comparison page.

Monthly Telkom ADSL Connection Costs

Monthly ADSL ISP Costs

See also: ADSL Bandwidth Cost Calculator.

These prices are just to get a rough idea of the costs involved. There are many ISP's out there, so search around. For some more ISP comparisons, go to the Hellkom site or this MyADSL Forum thread.