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ADSL or 3G? That’s the question that is posed to a lot of people in South Africa when they start looking for a broadband solution. The decision of the one over the other takes a lot of consideration and needs to take into account every user’s specific needs. What makes the one better than the other? Which one is cheaper? Which one is faster? These are just some of the questions people ask when confronted with this broadband dilemma.

 

3G has taken South Africa by storm with more 3G subscribers in the country than there are fixed line ADSL subscribers. It is not that surprising when one considers how hard it is to get a fixed line in some rural parts of South Africa, but is 3G really that much better than ADSL?

 

To set up a 3G broadband account is definitely much easier. There are no accessories that need to be purchased, it is near-instantaneous access and can be used nearly anywhere in the country. On the downside, 3G can be rather more expensive and the choice of service provider is much more limited versus the literally hundreds of fixed line ADSL service providers in the country. Still, for Internet access nearly anywhere in the country, you can’t get much better than 3G.

 

Fixed line ADSL requires a little more patience and effort to set up but pays off in the long run with a sustainable, fast connection to the Internet. Fixed line ADSL requires an ADSL modem, a phone line and a service provider to gain access to the Internet. Getting the appropriate phone line may take some time, depending on how busy Telkom technician’s are, but most ADSL service providers offer quick and effective service once the ADSL line is installed.

 

The price of fixed line ADSL is divided between the service provider costs and the cost of hiring the telephone line from Telkom. This is why fixed line ADSL may seem to be more expensive than 3G. However, with the right service provider you could end up with a fixed line ADSL connection that is both faster and less expensive than 3G.

 

At the end of the day the biggest difference is convenience. Fixed line ADSL is just that – fixed to a specific location and hard to move. 3G, on the other hand, is very mobile and allows you to connect to the Internet no matter where you are – but at a bit of an extra cost for the data that you send and receive. The final decision will be determined by what you, the user, needs from their broadband connection.

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