Telkom launches SpaceStream Home
Telkom today unveiled SpaceStream Home, an IP based communication solution making use of the latest satellite technology.
This addition to Telkom's satellite product portfolio offers voice and Internet services to small business and residential customers. SpaceStream Home offers Internet access with a download rate of up to 512 kbps and either one or two Voice over IP, telephony lines per single deployment. Currently a monthly bandwidth cap of 1 Gigabyte is linked to the Internet service.
Steve Lewis, Telkom's Managing Executive of Product House says, "An area of focus for Telkom's satellite strategy is to enable voice and data services in areas where normal wire line or wireless access networks are not cost effective or where high reliability cannot be ensured."
To this end, the intial focus will be on customers who are currently serviced by manual exchanges, old copper wire line technologies and customers who fall within the SKA exclusion zones.
"SpaceStream Home is an entry level product designed to deliver voice and Internet services to areas with unreliable or no terrestrial infrastructure. It is an especially compelling offer for our customers in rural areas that have been repeatedly hit by cable theft," explained Mr Lewis.
Added to the challenge of cable theft, the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) requires large radio silent areas around the antennas. This prevents the use of terrestrial wireless systems and cellular phones. SpaceStream Home meets SKA's requirement for radio silence.
"Telkom is sympathetic to its customers in these areas. We understand that the farming community is reliant on quality and sustainable telecommunications services. ICT services are a vital component to the running of a business and is an integral part of everyday living," said Mr Lewis.
"It was therefore also important for Telkom to make sure we select the most appropriate satellite technology. SpaceStream Home uses the proven Ku frequency band (12-18 GHz) space segment and is deployed with 1.2 metre antenna dishes to reduce susceptibility to rain and poor weather conditions, thereby improving service reliability."
"This innovative offering is the result of Telkom's commitment to consistently update our products and services to make telecommunications more affordable and accessible to business and the broader South African public," concluded Mr Lewis.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
SpaceStream Home, which includes both voice and internet, will be offered at R499 pm with an upfront installation fee of R6914.24. Two contract options are available to allow customers to pay off the installation fee on a monthly basis. Customers will be charged R1103 pm for a 12 month contract, while a 24 month contract will cost R814 pm. This offering includes both voice and Telkom Internet 1Gig option, with a second voice line charged at standard Telkom tariffs. All the above prices include VAT and terms and conditions apply.
Customers serviced by manual exchanges or residing in the SKA affected areas will be contacted by Telkom in due course.
For further enquiries, please contact:
PYNEE CHETTY
Senior Specialist: Media Relations
Tel.: (012) 311-5247
Cell: 081 389 7874
Email: chettpr2@telkom.co.za
or
LEIGH-ANN FRANCIS
Specialist: Media Relations
Tel.: (012) 311-7114
Cell: 081 391 4780
Email: francilm@telkom.co.za
About Telkom
Telkom is a leading communications services provider in South Africa and on the African continent. We had consolidated operating revenue from continuing operations of R33.1 billion and profit for the year from continuing operations of R179 million for the year ended 31 March 2012. Total assets from continuing operations amounted to R52.6 billion and equity attributable to the owners of Telkom to R29.7 billion as of 31 March 2012. The group generated free cash flow of R2.1 billion for the year ended 31 March 2012.
As of 31 March 2012, we had approximately 4.0 million telephone access lines in service and 99.9% of our telephone access lines were connected to digital exchanges. We offer business, residential and payphone customers a wide range of services and products, including:
- fixed-line subscription and connection services to post-paid, prepaid and private payphone customers using PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines, including ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) lines, and the sale of the subscription based value-added voice services and customer premises equipment rental and sales;
- fixed-line traffic services to post-paid, prepaid, and payphone customers, including local, long distance, fixed-to-mobile, international outgoing and international voice-over-internet protocol traffic services;
- interconnection services, including terminating and transiting traffic from South African mobile operators, as well as from international operators and transiting traffic from mobile to international destinations;
- fixed-line data centre operations and internet services, including domestic and international data transmission services, such as point-to-point leased lines, ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) services, packet-based services, managed data networking services and internet access and related information technology services;
- e-commerce, including internet access service provider, application service provider, hosting, data storage, e-mail and security services;
- W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access), a 3G next generation network, including fixed voice services, data services and nomadic voice services;
- mobile communication services, data services and handset sales through its mobile brand called 8•ta; and
- other services including directory services, through Trudon (Proprietary) Limited, wireless data services, through Swiftnet (Proprietary) Limited and internet services outside South Africa, through iWayAfrica Group (integration of Africa Online Limited and MWEB Africa Limited).