WEDNESDAY, 4.15PM
The country’s first major Internet survey to enjoy the co-operation of the key players has found that the number of South African dial-up users is 50% higher than generally believed. The study also reveals that the average Internet Service Provider has doubled its customer base over the past year.
The survey, based on questions to the more than eighty Internet Service Providers in South Africa, was conducted by Internet consultants Arthur Goldstuck (also editor of the Mail&Guardian’s PC Review) and colleague Cathy Stadler.
Among the survey’s findings:
The number of South Africans gaining Internet access through dial-up modems is 154 276. Previous estimates put this figure at 100 000.
The estimated number of Internet users — including office, school, university and home users — is about 600 000 people. For various technical reasons, this figure can only be estimated, rather than calculated exactly.
The top seven service providers each have more than 5 000 subscribers. The bottom 40 have less than 500.
The much-maligned Telkom service is one of the country’s most popular, with 20 000 subscribers.
“The findings clearly reveal that the Internet is a far more important target market than previously realised. The implications for electronic commerce are enormous,” says Goldstuck.