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Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) is currently a serious discussion point in many sectors of the communications industry in South Africa. We all know that it is costly, particularly for a widespread population… (more)
Blackberry goes white;
Charge while you watch;
Blackberry playbook OS 2.0 takes your playbook places… (more)
Industry in general has been slow to utilise outsourcing of data centres and moving into the cloud. This may be due mainly to the unavailability of affordable broadband… (more)
As head of a late entrant into the SA mobile industry, Amith Maharaj has experienced challenges and opportunities. I learnt that with the lowest rates for mobile data, 8.ta has more to come… (more)
The SADC has adopted the European standard for digital terrestrial broadcasting. In addition, the region has adopted the latest version of the standard, known as digital video broadcasting terrestrial version 2, or DVB-T2. The question now is whether South Africa will go it alone and adopt the Japanese/ Brazilian standard, or whether the government will return to its original decision and continue with DVB-T or its updated version DVB-T2… (more)
Choosing the Japanese standard for digital terrestrial television (DTT) will cost South Africa at least R700-million – if not more. In 2006 the Minister of Communications gazetted a policy for applying a switch-over to the European system, DVB, which had already been adopted by over 120 countries worldwide. However, a renewed debate recently revealed that the adoption decision has to include the Japanese and Brazilian ISDB-T standard… (more)
Having decided to develop and launch an amateur radio CubeSat, there are a few challenges that have to be overcome. It may sound easy, but to decide on what equipment to include on the satellite is actually very difficult… (more)
In recent years the focus on batteries has shifted to the development of new technologies to store energy. We may still call them batteries for want of a better word, and in many ways the so-called super-capacitors are like batteries – they store energy… (more)
When it comes to SCADA and PLC systems it is interesting to note the extensive applications in industry. During my recent discussion with Keith Gross of Ana-Digi Systems, I learned about the use of PLC and SCADA on two South African fishing trawlers… (more)
I had never imagined being able to program a micro automation device, but at the recent Siemens TIA Conference Josef Ploch persuaded me to get some hands-on experience, and I am now convinced that I can install a Siemens Logo at home… (more)
Reliance on one cable for bandwidth is a risky business and can cause major disruptions and customer dissatisfaction, as was recently experienced with the disruption of the Seacom sub-marine cable… (more)
Kaspersky Lab’s integrated solution protects home networks and also acts as a cyber nanny for the young ones. A password management program to manage an entire home network and fine-tune the security settings of the web browser and operating system are all part of the package… (more)
Recent notable moves in the ICT industry have been HP acquiring 3Com, and Dimension Data’s acquisition by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT). It was not so long ago that 3Com announced that through its manufacturing facility in China the company would aggressively enter the South African market… (more)
The SIM20A is a short range transceiver, operating in the 433 —434,79 MHz frequency band. On paper, the device is capable of a 1500 m transmission distance, but how will the equipment perform under field conditions which may vary considerably from industry to industry?… (more)
Over the past few months there have been many presentations, discussions and seminars around the issue of “green computing.” An important issue for being green is that it should not be a marketing ploy but a real intention to reduce the carbon footprint, explore renewable energy and recycle materials… (more)
Companies across the world have significantly changed their way of undertaking business on a day-to-day basis, since the beginning of the economic crisis. Limited travel budgets have compelled companies to seek new means of communication and collaboration… (more)
Free space optics − also referred to as “fibre over the air” − is an interesting new point-to-point wireless technology used for short distance high bandwidth connections. It uses laser operating in the infrared optical band to communicate digital data through free space. Laser is the acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation… (more)
During 2010 we will see an increase in competition in telecoms, says Aingharan Kanagaratnam, head of network solutions for Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa. With Neotel in the picture, together with the new licences that have been awarded and WiMAX spectrum issues likely to be resolved, we can expect further developments… (more)
Radio amateurs working with the South African Radio League’s Emergency Communication Network HAMNET, have geared up to support the World Cup soccer event with alternative communication channels should conventional channels fail or become overloaded… (more)
Broadband remains a challenge in South Africa. EngineerIT will address the issues by providing a forum on 2 March 2010, where a number of industry leaders will bring us up to speed with the latest developments and technologies in broadband communication… (more)
Telkom recently launched its new Bellville data centre which has been described as revolutionary by the industry. My question is: “At what point does being green become cost-effective?”… (more)
Streaming video has proved to be a powerful tool for businesses and organisations around the world, yet still has to find general acceptance in South Africa as a valuable addition to marketing, training and corporate promotion… (more)
Is the restriction of hazardous substances directive (RoHS) which emanated from the European Union (EU) overkill? Does electronic equipment containing lead present such a major threat when it is disposed off? What about lead acid batteries in just about every motor vehicle – do they not present a much great pollution problem?… (more)
by Hans van de Groenendaal, feature editor, EngineerIT
There has been too much talk and too little action. It is now four months since the Seacom cable was switched on but little in the way of faster or cheaper broadband has hit the market. Today Screamer Telecommunications, a WiMAX telecoms operator, got the ball rolling with the launch of its ADSL broadband product range, the flagship being the Unlimited ADSL line up, aggressively priced starting with Unlimited 384 kbps for R399 per month. It will be interesting who will follow next… (more)
Features editor Hans van de Groenendaal attended the Southern Africa Telecommunications (SATNAC) 2009 held in Swaziland from 31 August to 4 September. He highlights some of the presentations and discussions… (more)
The internet and the development of e-commerce has enabled the single biggest advancement for worldwide cost-effective procurement, offering simplification of the procurement process and broad and easy access to information. But why is the uptake in South Africa in its infancy stage?… (more)
Telkom and AT&T surprised the market by announcing that the two companies are to extend AT&T’s global networking reach to sub-Saharan Africa and boost Telkom’s strategy to grow a strong ICT footprint on the African continent… (more)
There are two ways of dealing with the current economic downturn: go down with the slump or ride on the wave of opportunity. If we had sent all market and financial analysts on a protracted holiday when the first signs of the downturn became apparent, would the downturn have been so severe?… (more)
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