Uncapped Internet where fibre and mobile networks fear to tread

South Africans living in areas without LTE, 5G, or fibre coverage have limited options when it comes to Internet connectivity.

However, some reliable options are available, such as satellite Internet connectivity and Wireless Internet Service Providers (Wisps).

Providers like IcasaSePush, Vox YahClick, and MorClick offer uncapped satellite Internet services that can be accessed from rural areas across South Africa.

Another provider, Paratus, sells satellite business Internet packages. However, it doesn’t list pricing on its website and prompts customers to request a quote.

Additionally, Wisps like Hero Wireless, RUSH Network, Supersonic, and Wirulink sell a broad range of wireless Internet services in underserved regions.

MyBroadband compared pricing for several satellite Internet providers and Wisps available in South Africa to find the most affordable option for those living in far-flung places.

We only included uncapped packages in our comparison.

Wireless Internet service providers

Wisps provide Internet connectivity by beaming a signal from a tower in the area to an antenna installed on the customer’s premises.

This requires a reliable and direct line of sight between the dish and the tower.

Several Wisps are available to people in remote areas, with download speeds ranging from 4Mbps to 100Mbps.

We split the packages into categories based on the download speeds they offer.

The most affordable option comes from RUSH Network, an Internet service provider that sells fixed-wireless packages on various networks.

It sells a 10Mbps fixed-wireless connection with 2Mbps upload on the Active Fibre network for R325 per month.

Supersonic also sells an affordable “AirFibre” package with 5Mbps download and 1Mbps upload for R399. AirFibre is the product name Supersonic gave for its fixed-wireless services.

Speeds on some fixed wireless access services reach as high as 100Mbps. However, this comes at a significantly higher cost.

Supersonic sells a 100Mbps AirFibre package with 20Mbps upload for R999 per month.

Customers can also get a Wirulink 100Mbps package with a similar upload speed for R3,099 per month.

The table below compares satellite Internet packages from Hero Wireless, RUSH Network, Supersonic, and Wirulink across a range of connection speeds.

Satellite Internet

Satellite Internet services have been available in South Africa for some time, and they offer a reliable form of connection in isolated areas, provided users are happy to deal with high latency.

The space recently saw new entrants beginning to sell Starlink Internet kits and plans, even though SpaceX has not officially launched its satellite broadband service in South Africa.

While they are relatively expensive compared to other satellite Internet providers in the country, low-Earth orbit systems like Starlink can reach much higher speeds.

One provider, IcasaSePush, charges R14,999 for the Starlink kit and R2,999 for installation. Customers will then pay a subscription fee of between R880 and R1,000 per month to Starlink.

In comparison, Vox sells a 5Mbps satellite Internet package with 2Mbps upload for R700 per month with no setup cost.

MorClick charges R2,500 for installation, and customers can get a 10Mbps or 20Mbps uncapped package for R999 or R1,299 per month, respectively.

The table below compares several satellite Internet services available in South Africa in terms of speeds and pricing.