iBurst announced that due to the deteriorating Rand the prices of the MODEMs can no longer be held at the same price as it had been for the last 2 years. Due to weakening Rand iBurst was forced to up the price of the MODEMs.

The UTD (Desktop MODEM/Terminal) will now be retailing at R 2 839, and the UTE (Express Card/Laptop) and UTU (USB MODEM) at R 2 439 each. It is unfortunate as it pushes up the entry into Broadband using iBurst. However, the good news is that the 24 month contract prices will remain the same. It means that the user will really score well on a 24 month contract.

Afrisys is proud to announce that Xincom appointed Afrisys as Sole Distributor of Xincom Network products for South Africa. Xincom will enhance the offering to small and medium businesses. These products allow for multiple Ethernet broadband connections to be pushed into one Router to enhance speed and reliability.

Xincom has basic products which are so sophisticated in its abilities that other competitive products are left far behind. It offers excellent throughput - higher than most competitive products - the only drawback being that the South African infrastructure cannot yet provide sufficient throughput.

It is possible with Xincom to use any number from 2 to 8 Ethernet broadband connections (ADSL, iBurst, My Wireless, etc.) and provide Auto Rollover (Fail over) or to combine them for high speed. In the latter case Load Balancing is done in both the upstream and downstream directions

iBurst is proud to announce that today they are launching a special offer which is now one of South Africa’s most affordable entry level broadband packages at R49 per month (month-2-month contract). The Play Special 40 megabyte package is valid until 31 August 2007. Subscribers have the option of including a laptop modem or USB modem for a total subscription fee of R69 per month or a desktop modem and Omni-antenna for a total subscription fee of R89 per month on a 24-month contract.

This means that it is now possible for just about anybody to get quick access to broadband and the internet. The only people still excluded are those where iBurst must still set up Base Stations.

For further information regarding iBurst products, the company’s call centre can be reached 24 hours a day either via telephone (083 949 7320) or email (iburst@afrisys.co.za).

Affordable voice communication in South Africa today received a boost with the launch of iCall, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service from iBurst.

iCall enables iBurst subscribers to make calls at competitive rates to any cell phone or landline in the world using their modems and VoIP devices which can be purchased from iBurst.

Compared to using a traditional fixed line phone, iCall subscribers will save 17% on calls to South African cell phones, 15% on national calls and in excess of 70% to many international destinations. With iCall, it is cheaper to call a landline number in Australia, China, the UK, USA and most of Europe than it is to call Cape Town from Johannesburg from a traditional landline.

The wireless broadband provider is emerging as a surprise player in the VoIP market. Already, iBurst is the only wireless broadband provider not to penalize subscribers who make VoIP calls across their networks.

“iBurst doesn’t have any traditional voice revenue to cannibalize so we’re quite happy to encourage the adoption of VoIP,” said Thami Mtshali, CEO of iBurst.

The deregulation of the telecommunications industry announced by Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri in September 2004 means that dozens of ISPs are beginning to take advantage of this cost-saving technology.

“VoIP allows individuals and organisations in particular to direct their savings towards priority areas,” added Mtshali.

Upon iCall signup, subscribers will be allocated an iCall number. The process is password-protected to verify calls being made and ensure accurate billing. The applicable rate for the destination and the duration of the call will determine how the subscriber’s voucher is depleted.

Strict security protocols will ensure that calls are only made with the allocated username and password issued during signup. Subscribers are required to pay a subscription fee of R50 per month including VAT after which pre-paid vouchers need to be purchased as an additional top-up option for using the service. These are currently available in R100 and R200 denominations. The subscription allows for unlimited free calls between iCall subscribers which is ideal for inter-branch communication, amongst other uses.

An itemised bill will be mailed to subscribers electronically ensuring that they are aware of their monthly usage. iBurst also offers telephonic and e-mail support to ensure that all queries are dealt with quickly and efficiently. 

iBurst’s wireless broadband service, which will cost as little as 12 cents a megabyte from 1 April, is up to three times faster than 3G and 17 times faster than dial-up. iBurst’s most affordable package from April is “Play Intro” offering 200 megabytes of data at R149 per month.

iBurst continues to lead the way by offering unrestricted VOIP, data-carryover, month-to-month contracts and great customer service.

For further information regarding iBurst products, the company’s call centre can be reached 24 hours a day either via telephone (083 949 7320) or email (iburst@afrisys.co.za).