词条 | Internet in South Africa |
释义 |
The Internet in South Africa, one of the most technologically resourced countries on the African continent, is expanding. The Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD)[1] .za is managed and regulated by the .za Domain Name Authority (.ZADNA) and was granted to South Africa by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in 1990. Over 60% of Internet traffic generated on the African continent originates from South Africa. As of July 2016, 29.3 million people (54.00% of the total population) were Internet users.[2] History of the Internet in South AfricaThe first South African IP address was granted to Rhodes University in 1988.[3] On 12 November 1991, the first IP connection was made between Rhodes' computing centre and the home of Randy Bush in Portland, Oregon.[4] By November 1991, South African universities were connected through UNINET to the Internet. Commercial Internet access for businesses and private use began in June 1992[5] with the registration of the first [https://zadna.org.za/content/page/domain-information/ .co.za subdomain]. The African National Congress, South Africa's governing political party, launched its website, {{URL|anc.org.za}}, in 1997, making it one of the first African political organizations to establish an Internet presence[6]; around the same time, the Freedom Front Plus ({{Lang-af|Vryheidsfront Plus}})[7] registered {{Url|vryheidsfront.co.za}}.[8] Statistics{{Image frame |caption=Internet users in South Africa showing penetration as a percentage of Internet users in the population |content={{Graph:Chart|type=area|xAxisTitle=Year|yAxisTitle=Individuals using Internet (%)|x=2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2016|y=5.35,6.35,6.71,7.01,8.43,7.49,7.61,8.07,8.43,7.49,7.61,8.07,8.43,10.00,24.00,33.97,41.00,46.50,49.00,51.92,54.00|width=350|yAxisMax=100|interpolation=monotone}}|width=440}}{{Internet users by region}}The Internet user base in South Africa increased from 2.4 million (5.35%) in 2000, to 5 million (8.43%) in 2008,[9][10] to 12.3 million (41%) in 2012, and 29.3 million in 2016.[11][10] This represented 54.00% of the South African population in 2016.[10] This is the highest penetration for all African countries second to Morocco (58.27%),[10] is well above the figure of 19.9% for Africa as a whole, and is comparable with the figure of 39.0% for developing countries worldwide.[12] The total number of wireless broadband subscribers overtook that of fixed line broadband subscribers in South Africa during 2007. In 2012, there were 1.1 million fixed line broadband subscribers[13] and 12.7 million wireless broadband subscribers.[14] South Africa's total international bandwidth reached the 10 Gbit/s mark during 2008, and its continued increase is being driven primarily by the uptake of broadband and lowering of tariffs. Three new submarine cable projects have brought more capacity to South Africa from 2009—the SEACOM cable entered service in June 2009, the EASSy cable in July 2010, and the WACS cable in May 2012. Additional international cable systems have been proposed or are under construction (for details see active and proposed cable systems below).{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Broadband in South AfricaADSLThe first ADSL package, a 512/256 kbit/s offering, was introduced in August 2002 by national telecoms monopoly Telkom. Later, in response to growing demand for cheaper ADSL options, two more products were introduced: a mid-range 384/128 kbit/s offering, and an entry-level 192/64 kbit/s one. On 1 September 2005, Telkom released its 1 Mbit/s offering. In late 2006, Telkom commenced with trials for 4 Mbit/s ADSL. Telkom also began phasing out their 192 kbit/s offering, upgrading subscribers to 384 kbit/s at no extra charge. In May 2008, Neotel launched consumer services, their broadband using CDMA technology.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} In late 2009, Telkom began trialling 8 and 12 Mbit/s ADSL offerings.[15] In August 2010, Telkom officially introduced ADSL at 10 Mbit/s. More than 20,000 4Mbit/s subscribers were upgraded free of charge. As of October 2018, fixed line DSL speeds on offer range between 2 Mbit/s to 40 Mbit/s.[16][17] Fibre to the home (FTTH)Currently Openserve (a division of Telkom), Vumatel, Frogfoot Networks, and Octotel are rolling out fibre to the home (FTTH) networks across major cities and towns.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} There are also about a dozen other small providers rolling out mostly to gated estates and neighbourhoods. These networks are open access wholesale last mile networks meaning that you have to purchase a package from an internet service provider (ISP) such as Vox, Webafrica, Axxess, or Telkom. Openserve, which is 51.4% government-owned, currently has the largest footprint covering areas in many smaller cities and towns that include Bloemfontein, Port Elizabeth, and Knysna. The rollout has been rapid. Speeds range from 4/1 Mbit/s to 1000/1000 Mbit/s. A 100/50 Mbit/s plan will cost R1000 to R1399 (US${{To USD|1000|ZAF}} to ${{To USD|1399|ZAF}}) depending on providers available in area and size of data package. An unlimited 1 Gbit/s/1 Gbit/s plan will cost around R1700 (${{To USD|1700|ZAF}}) so prices are still somewhat expensive when compared to other countries with FTTH but prices have been continually falling throughout the rollout. Comparatively, Google Fiber charges consumers $70 for an unlimited (uncapped) 1000/400 Mbit/s in the US.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Vumatel are currently rolling out FTTH to townships. They are starting with a trial in Alexandra, Gauteng which if successful will be expanded to other areas such as Diepsloot and Soweto. Vumatel have stated that they will be providing a 100/100 Mbit/s plan for R89 (${{To USD|89|ZAF}}) in these areas. They hope to undercut mobile operators, as many people rely on mobile data only in these areas.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Currently, deployed fibre technology is predominantly GPON (Openserve, Frogfoot networks, Octel), while some other installations use active fibre (Vumatel). There is no central coordinating authority; as a result many high income areas are over-served by multiple providers. Openserve and Vumatel signed an agreement to coordinate efforts in order to better distribute network infrastructure.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Wireless broadbandThere is a distinction between wireless broadband and mobile broadband, the local GSM operators (and their surrogates) provide GSM (up to LTE) broadband.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} A number of companies offer broadband alternatives. Iburst offer their namesake, while cellular network company Cell C offer GPRS and EDGE and more recently a 21.1 Mbit/s service. MTN and Vodacom also offer 3G with up to 21.1 Mbit/s HSDPA+.[18][19] Telkom offers a 7.2/2.4 Mbit/s HSDPA/HSUPA service in Gauteng.[20] Most of these offerings are more expensive than ADSL for mid-to-high usage, but can be cost effective if low usage is required. MTN triggered a price war in late February 2007, offering 2 GB for each 1 GB bought,[21] with Iburst giving a small "data bonus" to their contract customers and Sentech also reducing their prices. Vodacom responded with dramatic price cuts of their own on 1 April 2007, after which Cell C reduced prices on their larger offerings to undercut both MTN and Vodacom.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Internet hotspots are ubiquitous in hotels, coffee shops, and the like. This enables users—often tourists or people on the move—to easily go online without having to enter into a fixed contract with an ISP. Many hotspots offer usage free of charge, though frequently only after registration and/or for a limited amount of time or data.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP)Until 1 February 2005, the usage of VOIP outside of company networks was illegal under South African communications law, ostensibly to protect jobs. The deregulation of VOIP was announced by former Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri in September 2004.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} PricingBroadband services are well above the world average.[22] Charges consist of three parts: the ADSL line rental (costs range from R169 for 2 Mbit/s, R389 for 8Mbit/s, and R555 for 40Mbit/s line access)[23], the analogue phone line rental (R157, as of August 2013,[23] which includes a landline number) and an ISP account. The price of an ISP account can vary greatly, ranging from R109 (${{To USD|109|ZAF}}) for 100 GB to R4099 (${{To USD|4099|ZAF}}) for 4 TB. Uncapped 1 Mbit/s ISP accounts start at R57 (${{To USD|57|ZAF}}) and can range up to R817 (${{To USD|817|ZAF}}) for uncapped 40 Mbit/s. ADSL prices in South Africa have been decreasing steadily since the service was introduced, mainly as result of competition from mobile network operators, but also due to the landing of the SEACOM cable. Previously the sole undersea cable to land in South Africa was the Telkom-operated SAT-3. Telkom's own ADSL subscriber base climbed from 58,532 in February 2005 to around 548,015 in July 2009.[24][25][26] ADSL broadband prices began to drop significantly when Afrihost entered the market at R29 (${{To USD|29|ZAF}}) per gigabyte in August 2009, forcing other ISPs to lower their prices.[27] Since then, thanks to more ISPs entering the market, the price for data has decreased – in February 2014, Webafrica started offering ADSL from R1.50 (${{To USD|1.50|ZAF}}) per GB.[28] However, relative to developed markets, ADSL prices in South Africa still remain among the highest in the world which has prompted consumer groups such as Hellkom and MyADSL to charge that Telkom's ADSL prices are excessive. In terms of speed, a report by Akamai, The State of the Internet for 2010, showed that South Africa was one of 86 countries which had an average connection speed below 1 Mbit/s, which is below the global average broadband threshold of 2 Mbit/s.[29] Dial up InternetDial-up subscribers are migrating to broadband, and then escalating to higher-bandwidth packages as they become available. However, broadband technologies are not universally available and many customers still connect to the Internet using a dial-up modem or an ISDN T/A connection.{{citation needed|reason=According to what data and as of when?|date=April 2016}} There was also BelTel - a (mostly business) service available via subscription. It could be used via Minitel terminals, and gave access to banking services, Telkom directory services, and local chat groups. Legislation and licensingThe South African government passed the Electronic Communications Act in 2006 and is dramatically restructuring the sector towards a converged framework, converting vertically-integrated licenses previously granted to public switched telephone network (PSTN), mobile, underserved area licenses (USAL), PTN and value-added network service (VANS) operators into new Electronic Communications Network Services (ECNS), Electronic Communications Services (ECS), or broadcasting licenses. In January 2009, the ICASA granted ECS and ECNS licenses to over 500 VANS operators.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} The South African market is in the process of being dramatically restructured, moving away from old-style, vertically integrated segments under the 1996 Telecommunications Act and 2001 Telecommunications Amendment Act towards horizontal service layers, and the new-style licensing regime is being converted to accommodate this. This process involves the conversion of pre-existing licenses into new "individual" or "class" ECNS, ECS, or broadcasting licenses. Licenses are also required for radio frequency spectrum, except for very low power devices.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} ICASA granted ECNS licenses during December 2007 to seven new USAL operators. The new licensees include PlatiTel, Ilembe Communications, Metsweding Telex, Dinaka Telecoms, Mitjodi Telecoms, and Nyakatho Telecoms.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} The South African market is split into two main tiers: top-tier Internet access providers; and downstream retail ISPs. ISPs are licensed as VANS providers, although under the Electronic Communications Act of 2006, these licenses were converted in January 2009 to individual or class electronic communication service (ECS) licenses. All domestic ISPs gain international connectivity through one of the Internet access providers: SAIX (Telkom), Neotel, Verizon Business, Internet Solutions (IS), MTN Network Solutions, DataPro, and Posix Systems.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Following the deregulation of the VANS industry in South Africa, a number of leading operators have diversified from being a top-tier ISP to becoming a converged communications service provider offering a range of voice and data services, particularly VoIP, through the conversion of VANS licenses into ECS licenses.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} With delays to local loop unbundling (LLU), which would give ISPs access to exchanges, operators are deploying a range of broadband wireless networks. While the mobile operators are deploying HSDPA, W-CDMA and EDGE networks and entering the broadband space, operators are also deploying WiMAX, iBurst, and CDMA systems. Telkom, Sentech, Neotel, WBS and the under-serviced areas licensees (USALs) have currently been given commercial WiMAX licenses. Telkom launched full commercial WiMAX services in June 2007, first at 14 sites in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban, and a further 57 sites rolled out over 2007/8. Another 10 operators, including M-Web and Vodacom, were granted temporary test licenses and are awaiting spectrum to be allocated by ICASA. In May 2008, WBS partnered with Vodacom and Intel Corporation to roll out an 802.16e WiMAX network.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Active and proposed cable systemsAs of 2013, South Africa is served by five submarine communication cables, SAT-2, SAT-3/WASC/SAFE, SEACOM, EASSy, and WACS. Another five cables, Main One, SAex, ACE, BRICS, and WASACE, have been proposed or are under construction, but are not yet operational in South Africa.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Active cable systems
Proposed cable systemsThe following systems have been proposed or are under construction, but are not yet operational in South Africa:
SANReNThe South African National Research and Education Network (SANReN) provides dedicated bandwidth capacity to more than a 100 university campuses, research institutes, museums and scientific organisations in South Africa. This is the foundation for collaborative research with academics and scientists on the African continent and across continents. The SANReN enables the participation of South African scientists and postgraduate students in global research, such as the high energy physics ATLAS experiment hosted at CERN in Geneva. Internet censorship{{main|Internet censorship in South Africa}}Internet censorship in South Africa is not individually classified by the OpenNet Initiative (ONI), but South Africa is included in ONI's regional overview for sub-Saharan Africa.[48] Digital media freedom is generally respected in South Africa. Political content is not censored, and neither bloggers nor content creators are targeted for their online activities. In 2013, Freedom House rated South Africa's "Internet Freedom Status" as "Free".[49] In September 2012, the Constitutional Court upheld a ruling that prescreening publications (including Internet content) as required by the 2009 amendments to the Films and Publications Act of 1996 was an unconstitutional limitation on freedom of expression.[49] In 2006, the government of South Africa began prohibiting sites hosted in the country from displaying X18 (explicitly sexual) and XXX content (including child pornography and depictions of violent sexual acts); site owners who refuse to comply are punishable under the Film and Publications Act.{{Citation needed|date=October 2018}} Under the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act of 2002 (ECTA), ISPs are required to respond to and implement take-down notice South Africa participates in regional efforts to combat cybercrime. The East African Community (consisting of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC; consisting of Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) have both enacted plans to standardise cybercrime laws throughout their regions.[48] See also{{Portal|Internet}}
References1. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.zadna.org.za/faq/entry/what-is-a-domain/|title=(ccTLDs) such as .za (for South Africa)|last=|first=|date=13 June 2017|website=.za Domain Name Authority (ZADNA)|access-date=}} 2. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html|title=The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov|language=en|access-date=2018-01-03}} 3. ^{{cite web|last=Lawrie|first=Mike|title=The History of the Internet in South Africa - How it began|url=http://archive.hmvh.net/txtfiles/interbbs/SAInternetHistory.pdf|accessdate=7 August 2012}} 4. ^{{cite web|title=20 Years of TCP/IP in South Africa|year=2011|accessdate=12 November 2011|url=http://www.ru.ac.za/ipinza/ |publisher=Rhodes University}} 5. ^{{cite web|last=Barrett|first=Alan|title=Early history of co.za registrations|url=http://www.internet.org.za/early_coza_registrations.txt|publisher=UNINET|accessdate=7 August 2012}} 6. ^{{cite web|title=Anc.org archives|url=http://www.anc.org.za/|publisher=African National Congress|accessdate=12 June 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19970102192947/http://www.anc.org.za/|archivedate=2 January 1997}} 7. ^Freedom Front Plus {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060610071219/http://vryheidsfront.co.za/ |date=10 June 2006 }} 8. ^{{cite web|title=The CO.ZA simple whois server|url=http://co.za/cgi-bin/whois.sh?Domain=vryheidsfront&Enter=Enter|publisher=UniForum SA|accessdate=7 August 2012}} 9. ^{{cite web|title=Internet in South Africa|url=http://www.southafricaweb.co.za/page/internet-south-africa|publisher=South Africa Web|accessdate=14 June 2011|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809185437/http://www.southafricaweb.co.za/page/internet-south-africa|archivedate=9 August 2011|df=dmy-all}} 10. ^1 2 3 {{Cite web|url=https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2018/Individuals_Internet_2000-2017.xls|title=Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000–2017|last=|first=|date=2017|website=|publisher=International Telecommunications Union|location=Geneva|format=XLS|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=30 October 2018}} 11. ^The New Wave: Who connects to the Internet in South Africa, how they connect and what they do when they connect, Indra de Lanerolle, design by Garage East, University of Witwatersrand, 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2013. 12. ^{{Cite web|url=https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Documents/statistics/2017/ITU_Key_2005-2017_ICT_data.xls|title=Key ICT indicators for developed and developing countries and the world (totals and penetration rates) 2005–2017|last=|first=|date=2017|website=|publisher=International Telecommunications Union|location=Geneva|format=XLS|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=30 October 2018}} 13. ^"Fixed (wired)-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012", Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013. 14. ^"Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants 2012", Dynamic Report, ITU ITC EYE, International Telecommunication Union. Retrieved on 29 June 2013. 15. ^"12 Mbps ADSL upgrades trialed", Rudolph Muller, MyBroadband, 24 January 2010 16. ^{{Cite news|url=http://mybroadband.co.za/news/adsl/91399-telkom-adsl-speed-upgrades-dates-and-other-details.html|title=Telkom ADSL speed upgrades – dates and other details|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en-US}} 17. ^{{Cite web|url=https://secure.telkom.co.za/today/shop/home/plan/fast-adsl/|title=Telkom ADSL line options|last=|first=|date=|website=Telkom|archive-url=|archive-date=|dead-url=|access-date=30 October 2018}} 18. ^http://www.vodacom.co.za/services/mobile_data/3g_hsdpa_hsupa.jsp {{Dead link|date=June 2013}} 19. ^MTN 3.6 Mbps HSDPA here, Rudolph Muller, MyBroadband, 24 January 2008 20. ^http://www.telkom.co.za/products_services/w-cdma/benefits.html {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081107073108/http://www.telkom.co.za/products_services/w-cdma/benefits.html |date=7 November 2008 }} 21. ^IOL Technology, Independent Online 22. ^{{cite web|publisher=MyBroadband.co.za|title=South African broadband prices vs The World|date=21 November 2017|accessdate=2017-12-05|url=https://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/238608-south-african-broadband-prices-vs-the-world.html}} 23. ^1 {{Cite web|url=http://www.telkom.co.za/general/pricelist/downloads/tarifflist_Aug.pdf|title=Telkom|website=Telkom|access-date=2018-08-16}} 24. ^Telkom SA#Criticisms, Wikipedia 25. ^"South African ADSL market size", Rudolph Muller, MyBroadband, 3 July 2009 26. ^{{Cite web|url=https://secureapp.telkom.co.za/ir/financial/annual-results-2014/operational-data.html|title=Home - Telkom Investor Relations|last=Telkom|website=secureapp.telkom.co.za|language=en|access-date=2018-08-16}} 27. ^"R 29 per GB ADSL offering launched", Rudolph Muller, MyBroadband, 22 September 2009, retrieved 6 June 2013 28. ^"Massive capped ADSL price cuts from Web Africa", MyBroadband, 4 February 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014. 29. ^{{cite web|last=Muller|first=Rudolph|publisher=MyBroadband.co.za|title=State of South Africa's Internet|date=26 January 2011|accessdate=2011-02-18|url=http://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/17987-State-South-Africas-Internet.html}} 30. ^[https://books.google.com/books?id=huOK3lLUHVYC&pg=PA76 "Section 8.3.8. SAT (South-Atlantic"], Repeatered Submarine Fiber Optics Systems, Information Gatekeepers Inc. (IGI) (Boston), 1998, page 76. 31. ^"System Information" {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130531001727/http://www.safe-sat3.co.za/ |date=31 May 2013 }}, SAT-3/WASC/SAFE, retrieved 6 June 2013 32. ^"Cable makes big promises for African Internet", Diane McCarthy, CNN, 27 July 2009 33. ^"Seacom to double capacity", Duncan McLeod, TechCentral, 25 May 2012 34. ^"Our Network", SEACOM, retrieved 6 June 2013 35. ^{{Cite news|url=http://mybroadband.co.za/news/telecoms/72830-seacom-upgrades-network.html|title=SEACOM upgrades network|access-date=2018-08-16|language=en-US}} 36. ^"EASSy enters commercial service", Rudolph Muller, MyBroadband, 5 August 2010 37. ^"About EASSy", EASSy, retrieved 6 June 2013 38. ^"WACS launched in South Africa", MyBroadband, 11 May 2012 39. ^"Our Network" and "Network Map" {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130529015812/http://www.mainonecable.com/wp-content/uploads/Main-One-Map-2012.jpg |date=29 May 2013 }}, Main One Nigeria, retrieved 6 June 2013 40. ^"Underwater cables bring faster internet to West Africa", Christian Purefoy and Teo Kermeliotis, CNN, 10 January 2012 41. ^"France Telecom-Orange announces the launch of service for the ACE submarine cable in the first 13 countries", France Telecom-Orange, 19 December 2012 42. ^" 16Tbit/s SAEx cable deal signed", Duncan McLeod, TechCentral, 25 October 2012 43. ^[https://web.archive.org/web/20121224023808/http://www.efive.co.za/Network_ProjectStatus.aspx "Network Project Status"], eFive Telecoms, retrieved 6 June 2013 44. ^"BRICS cable eyes 2015 completion", BusinessTech (MyBroadband), Gareth Vorster, 21 March 2013 45. ^"Network", BRICS Cable, retrieved 6 June 2013 46. ^"WASACE Plans Submarine Cable Connecting Africa to Europe, Latin America and North America", IHS Global Insight, 28 November 2011 47. ^"WASACE Cable Company is pleased to announce that it has begun the procurement process to select a cable system supplier" {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708224936/http://www.wasace.com/recent-announcements/wasacecablecompanyispleasedtoannouncethatithasbeguntheprocurementprocesstoselectacablesystemsupplier |date=8 July 2012 }}, Ramón Gil-Roldán, WASACE Cable Company, 8 May 2012 48. ^1 "ONI Regional Overview: Sub-Saharan Africa", OpenNet Initiative, September 2009 49. ^1 2 "South Africa country report", Freedom on the Net, Freedom House, 2013. External links
3 : Telecommunications in South Africa|Internet in South Africa|Internet by country |
随便看 |
|
开放百科全书收录14589846条英语、德语、日语等多语种百科知识,基本涵盖了大多数领域的百科知识,是一部内容自由、开放的电子版国际百科全书。