Local fixed line operator Telkom has officially confirmed that it will launch 10 Mbps package offerings in August. 

 

Recently there have been a number of suggestions that the company is looking towards upgrading its fixed line ADSL service, which is currently limited to 4 Mbps. Telkom also confimed earlier this year that it was trialing an 8 Mbps service and had intentions of implementing 10 Mbps and 12 Mbps ADSL services. 

 

Technology news website MyBroadband has revealed that although higher ADSL speeds have been on the cards since April, it has taken some time to roll out Metro-Ethernet to the relevant exchanges to ensure that they are capable of supporting such speeds. FIFA’s network freeze during the World Cup has also had an effect. 

 

Initially the 10 Mbps offering will only be launched in areas with Metro-Ethernet enabled exchanges where there are high ratios of 4 Mbps subscribers. This also means that Telkom’s 4 Mbps package will remain on its existing product list with differential pricing. 

 

This is good news for local ADSL users. Late 2009 saw a number South African Internet Service Providers such as Mweb and Afrihost significantly reducing rates in order to offer affordable uncapped accounts to consumers. Telkom has however gathered criticism for being slow to react, with users complaining that although they now have access to sufficient bandwidth, line speeds are not in keeping with international standards.