Telkom's ADSL, Sentech's MyWireless, WBS's iBurst, Vodacom 3G and MTN 3G are likely to be joined by another two players in 2006, while the Second Network Operator (SNO) may well launch wholesale services that open the way for more niche operators.

'The good news is that we are seeing real choice beginning to emerge, not just among the five broadband providers, but also within the product range of each of the operators,' says Goldstuck, who also released SA's first handbook of mobile and wireless communications, The Hitchhiker's Guide to Going Wireless, this month (November 2005).

'The premium offerings may be expensive, but for the ordinary user with average Internet needs, there is a price point to suit the pockets of most working people who have computers and phones at home.'

The report strikes a sobering note with regard to the digital divide, warning that broadband is not the solution that will bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots. For that, massive intervention is still required by the Government.

'Technology by itself will not change the lives of the disadvantaged,' says Goldstuck. 'For that you need a commitment from Government, and that commitment must run from top to bottom. In the absence of meaningful policy leadership, access to technology will remain the domain of the privileged.'