A year after showcasing the solution in Johannesburg’s Alexandra township, Vumatel has launched its R99/month uncapped fibre broadband offering as a commercial product.
Called Vuma Key, Vumatel has trialled the low-cost offering in Alexandra and in Kayamandi in Stellenbosch for some time, seeking to commercialise the offering and roll it out nationwide.
“Designed for low-income households earning less than R5 000/month, Vuma Key offers high-speed, uncapped connectivity at just R3.30/day, supporting up to four devices per household,” Vumatel said in a statement on Tuesday.
“Unlike other services, Vuma Key requires only a simple monthly recharge, with no penalties for missed payments, and installation is completely free,” it said.
A year ago, TechCentral visited Alexandra with Vumatel executives to see the solution in action – our report on that visit, along with a video of the tour, is available here (the video is also embedded below).
“Vuma Key has been designed specifically for communities that have traditionally been beyond the reach of high-speed, high-volume uncapped internet,” said Dietlof Mare, CEO of Maziv, Vumatel’s parent company, in the statement.
10Mbit/s
Vuma Key is now available in Alexandra wards 75, 76, 107, 108 and 116, as well as in all wards of Kayamandi. It offers a download speed of 10Mbit/s, an upload speed of 5Mbit/s, and supports up to four simultaneous devices.
The entry-level speed is a reduction of what was offered during the testing phase: then, R99/month bought a 20Mbit/s connection — it seems Vumatel has determined that would have made the product too difficult to monetise. Faster speeds are available, but at higher cost to the consumer:
- 10Mbit/s (upload); 5Mbit/s (download): R99/month
- 10/10Mbit/s: R249/month
- 20/10Mbit/s: R399/month
- 40/10Mbit/s: R529/month
- 100/50Mbit/s: R799/month
The company said the target market for Vuma Key includes 10 million homes and informal dwellings across the length and breadth of South Africa.
Installation is free, and customers can pay through recurring debit orders or recharge monthly with a single EasyPay reference number from stores such as Boxer, Pick n Pay, Pep and Ackermans. Customers can also use payment services like Kazang, which is available at many spaza shops. Capitec customers will be able to recharge via the Capitec mobile app. – © 2024 NewsCentral Media
