Internet service provider MWeb, which stunned the market a year ago with the introduction of SA’s first relatively affordable uncapped broadband offerings, is at it again, this time in server hosting.

This morning the company will take the wraps off low-priced uncapped Web hosting plans that cost just R19/month, no matter how much bandwidth is consumed.

The new offer takes SA Web server hosting costs to levels common in Europe and other developed markets. High server hosting costs in SA have often meant less well resourced website operators have been forced to host their sites overseas in places such as Germany and the US.

MWeb CEO Rudi Jansen says he hopes the introduction of low-cost and uncapped hosting plans will result in more companies and individuals hosting their websites in SA.

Though the service is uncapped, there is an acceptable use policy to prevent abuse. “It’s there to stop someone from downloading a bunch of movies and then letting everyone else download them from their website,” says Jansen.

He says the policy does not apply in instances where websites happen to generate significant volumes of traffic through promotions or other means. Rather, it’s there as protection against people who set up sites as media servers hosting movies and similar bandwidth-rich content.

The uncapped hosting service is aimed at small businesses and individuals. It offers a free “.co.za” domain name, which is automatically re-registered each year, plus a personalised e-mail address with five aliases. Websites are hosted on shared servers rather than a dedicated system.

Subscribers to MWeb’s digital subscriber line broadband products are entitled to use the service free of charge for the first 12 months, after which the R19/month fee may apply.

Jansen is reluctant to provide details, but hints that big changes could soon also be on the cards for companies that buy dedicated server hosting space from MWeb. He says an announcement will be made in April. — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral