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Tutorials > iBurst > General iBurst Info



General iBurst Info

How fast is it?

Under ideal conditions the iBurst system can download (data coming to you) at up to one 1Mbps and upload (data coming from you) at up to 345 Kbps.

The degree to which these maximum speeds are attained depends on the quality of the signal which is influenced by several factors:

  • The distance you are from the nearest base station
  • Whether there are obstructions between you and the base station
  • How many other people are connected via your base station
  • The speed at which you are traveling

Additionally, the speed of access is greatly influenced by all the usual Internet factors such as the speed of the server you are communicating with and the speed and usage levels of the links that the communication is going over.

Do I need to be near a window for it to work?

No not necessarily but being near a window can improved the strength of your signal. The iBurst system uses fully adaptive smart antenna technology which adjusts signal patterns to and from each user, creating a “personal cell” for efficient delivery of voice or data services. These personal cells will follow you as you move around, reducing radio interference. You can be in a car travelling up to 100km per hour and remain connected provided you are in a coverage area.

Can I share my iBurst connection with others?

It is possible to use the iBurst desktop modem to provide a broadband link to a local network which may be a traditional wired LAN or a wireless LAN using an 802.11 access point.

A Broadband Router or Wireless Broadband router will allow you to connect more than one user to the iBurst connection, such as in Case Study 1 - Broadband router and Case Study 2 - Wireless Broadband router

How does the iBurst service improve productivity?

The iBurst service helps productivity in many ways:

  • The mobility of the system means that you can be fully productive no matter where you are under coverage, whether in the office or out in the field. You need not waste time returning to the office to perform transactions or to update data, all facilities are at your finger tips no matter where you are at the time under coverage.
  • Similarly, the mobility of the iBurst service means that there is no downtime, except when you want it. If you commute for long periods, iBurst can keep you fully productive for this period, freeing up time in your day for other activities.
  • A high speed secure connection to your company network and the Internet dramatically broadens the amount of information and services you can call upon in the field. A laptop used offline with only local data to work with cannot help in unforeseen circumstances. For example, if you are visiting a client and cannot find their office, you can look at the client’s web site to check the address and go to an online mapping site to get a map to direct you to the location.

How does the iBurst service compare with WiFi (Wireless LAN, 802.11)?

WiFi is an extremely useful technology for providing localised wireless connectivity for a group of related users. In the scenario of an office or a home environment it is ideal. However, it does not work well with wide area, public communications access.

This is firstly due to its range of up to a maximum of 100 metres, limiting it generally to one premise such as a home, office or a cafe.

Authorising users for access is another impediment. Due to the haphazard way WiFi public access points are being deployed, allowing for a user to identify themselves and pay for the service is proving to be a severe challenge for service providers and results in great inconvenience for the user. In contrast, iBurst has much greater range and thus blankets entire metropolitan areas so the customer can expect coverage where they are rather than have to seek out hotspot locations. Billing is centralised and standardised as the network is being run and coordinated by one company for the entire country.

How does iBurst different to other wide-area wireless broadband services?

The iBurst service is unique in that it offers high speed, secure, mobile and portable wireless broadband access.

These characteristics makes iBurst one of the fastest, flexible and cost effective wireless broadband options currently available in South Africa.

How does the iBurst service compare with 2.5G/GPRS/3G?

2.5G and GPRS are terms used for the data service delivered over standard mobile phone networks. These are significantly slower (20 to 30 Kbps) and more expensive than the iBurst service.

3G is the mobile data service for the next generation of mobile phone networks. As with 2.5G, the data is more expensive and slower than data over the iBurst service.



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