Question

whats the fastest and most reliable broadband package I can get for home or small office use?

Answer 1

I have been using Powertel for almost a month now and so far the experience has been AWESOME!

Comments

Do you happen to run VOIP on this connection because I need a connection thats able to flawlessly support a VOIP service for 2 - 4 users in my office.

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I can use skype without video with no problems. On average I get a little more than 256kbps during the day and more than 512kbps at night. I'm not much of a networking guy so I wouldn't know if that would be enough for 4 users.

Answer 2

When Powertel is working, its good, bt when something goes wrong, its a living nightmare.

Nothing can ever offer more reliable broadband than adsl, and for 50 dollars or so, telone can do that for you. Generally, a single voip call consumes 64kps uncompressed depending with the codec.

So 4 calls calculated at 64kps is 256kps, Telone can easily cover that for you on there $50 package bcoz it gives you 512kps downloads, lm not sure of the uplink speeds.

Answer 3

Powertel is good, $50 for unlimited mobile broadband that doesn't get cut off soon as your subscription is expired (though you will eventually have to pay). Also the speed is great, it faces problems when there is a genuine issue and they do fix it fast. The main set-back is there are some areas in Harare where there is no signal at all or where its very terrible. Just confirm with them first before you buy.
Telone's ADSL is great if you're not on the go...

Comments

powertel will limit you logically! I used them until l gave up. Just look at the promised speeds and what you will be actually getting.

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Please explain what you mean by logically. I have personally tried out the available options on the cheap side and will safely tell you that in terms of speed, Powertel = Africom = Econet. Due to that I have resorted to the one that doesnt rip me off too much. Everyone knows Econet is the biggest rip off, Africom is okay if you are not into downloading too much and Powertel which willl perform just as equally good(or bad) as the rest is suited for serial downloaders.

Maybe my opinion is affected by where I stay (Southerton) where signal for all these providers is pretty much the same quality.

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my point is, if you are told that your internet is "unlimited" but at the end of each month you are only managing to download btwn 10-15 gig bcoz of slow speeds, then thus your limit.

Somewhere from the side of the planet,  one can download 200gig or even terabytes of data per month without any problem or phone calls about abusing the line, now thus what is called unlimited.

l have yet to confirm but lm sure the PowerTel NOC is around that place which might explains why you get good speeds.

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Okay I do admit that the speeds are not world class but the point here is we comparing with everything else that's available in ZIMBABWE (HARARE). At the moment its pointless to drool over what speeds people in SA or the rest of the world are getting because there is no way we can ever go and buy their stuff and use it here. 15Gig per month aint so bad, compared to the limited 1gig/month for $xx from all other providers.