Telkom ADSL
Telkom provides ADSL retail services via their ISP Telkom Internet to consumer and business customers, and through Telkom Wholesale to other licensed operators. Most ISPs in South Africa, such as Afrihost, utilise Telkom's copper infrastructure for reselling ADSL services.
Telkom provides ADSL with POTS. According to Telkom's figures, 92% of exchanges have been upgraded to support ADSL.[15] Telkom is currently the largest provider of fixed-line broadband in the country, with 412 190 subscribers according to the 2008 annual report.
Telkom ADSL is billed as an add-on service to a POTS voice line. A PPPoE account, which can be provided by most ISPs, must be purchased separately to the ADSL connection for internet access. ISPs are divided into two categories, those who purchase IPConnect from Telkom and those who resell PPPoE accounts from IPConnect ISPs or Telkom themselves. IPConnect is a Telkom bit-stream access product allowing ISPs to route internet bandwidth from their ADSL subscribers over their own bandwidth.
Originally, three connection rate ranges are offered (associated with different connection fees) which are "Fast" (1024/384 kbit/s), "Faster" (up to 2048/512 kbit/s), "Fastest" up to (10240/1002 kbit/s (ADSL2+))[16] of bandwidth for downstream/upstream respectively existed. The actual speed obtained can vary depending on line conditions. These connection rate ranges have since changed, with the minimum speed currently being 2048/512 kbit/s and mid-range 5120/512 kbit/s.
Telkom have released a 10 Mbit ADSL 2+ service for a limited amount of "Fastest" users on 15 August 2010.[17]
From 18 October 2011, Telkom Internet launched business offerings,[18] and has subsequently increased value with speed upgrades and improved prioritisation for business users, as well as converting products to include soft-capping (unlimited browsing).[19]
Telkom Internet offers business and residential SoftCap packages (as of 1 February 2012).[20]
As of 24 August 2012, "Faster" (1024 kbit/s) users started reporting speed upgrades to 2 Mbit/s (2048 kbit/s) on their ADSL Lines.[21] As of 2 September 2012, Telkom have begun the process of trialing 40 Mbit/s VDSL and FTTx.[22]
