Lead story

How the web took over the world

The Web has come to dominate the internet, and indeed our daily lives. Its inexorable rise to dominance offers a glimpse of what to expect in the years ahead, as ever more of our lives migrate Webwards. Jon Tullett met with South African Internet pioneer Mike Lawrie to explore the past and future history of the Web in SA.

Yet another submarine cable?

The West African Cable System (Wacs) went live in May. But does South Africa need another cable?

Lead story

Samantha Perry

Absa: ‘Today, Tomorrow, To Court?’

While Absa bank is being frustratingly uncommunicative about the scale of its latest redundancies, the rancour its actions have provoked means plenty of insiders are willing to spread the word.

Lead story

Lesley Stones

How (and why) Telkom lost R10 billion

It had no experience in any foreign market, or in mobile, or in CDMA. Is it any surprise Multi-Links failed?

Hilton Tarrant

A fracture in SA’s astronomical advantage?

South Africa’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array has become one rallying point for public opposition to applications by Shell and others to explore for shale gas in the Karoo Basin. Will it be affected?

INDEPTH

Ivo Vegter

The threat of disconection

Could it happen to us?

Nick van der Leek

Beam me up, Scotty

Satellite has provided the bulk of Africa’s connectivity for decades, thanks to low fixed-line penetration rates. This is changing, though, thanks to the submarine cables, and the discovery of Africa as the last great untapped market for everything. where to next for satellite then?

Samantha Perry

Hello, hello

Telkom Mobile has launched its consumer arm – 8ta – South Africa’s fourth mobile operator. It will have an uphill battle on its hands to gain market share.

Samantha Perry

Uncapped ADSL – a workable business model?

It’s a scale game as ISPs rush to attract as many uncapped broadband clients as possible.

Hilton Tarrant

The operators’ missing millions

Up to R1 billion is gathering dust in the Universal Service and Access Fund, while South Africans cry for basic telecoms services.

Samantha Perry