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Smile, you have been connected
Low-income, under-serviced consumers in rural areas will now have more telecoms choice with the launch of Smile Communications this week.
Smile launched the first trial of its wireless communication network in Gamalakhe village, KwaZulu-Natal.
The trial WiMax network is a partnership with T3 Telecommunications, which holds a Universal Service Area Licence from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa.
The company said it would shortly begin to roll out public access devices (wireless phones) that would connect to the network at a reduced cost. The primary service is a wireless Voice-over IP (VoIP) service at a reduced cost.
Smile users would call each other for 50 cents per minute while outside network calls would cost callers 80 cents per minute with SMS, at 20 cents. The company said the project would create 30000 jobs once the service was rolled out across the country — as soon as it receives a WiMax licence from Icasa.
WiMax is currently being used in African countries where it would be impractical to develop infrastructure.
Seventy percent of Smile Communications is held by Saudi Arabian shareholders, 21 percent by South Africans and nine percent is in an SA Heritage Trust to benefit local communities.
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