Sentech, the old state-owned television and radio signal distribution company that was spun off the SABC years ago, has in recent years been the unlikely protagonist behind several firsts.

Sentech was the first telecoms firm to use the tower it operates on the hill in Brixton, Johannesburg, as a branded icon. Telkom (in Hillbrow) and Vodacom (with the famous circular Ponte City building) have emulated Sentech, placing their logos high in the skyline of South Africa`s commercial capital.

It was also the first to launch a service dubbed “broadband”, and was the first to offer – legally, at least – wireless terrestrial data services to consumers. It was also the first company outside the cellular industry, where the practice is well entrenched, to offer bundled products such as laptops to entice new customers.