Please, I will like to know if any body has used IPNX iwireles, and if the service is available at lasu/ojo area.

IPNS is also fast and it around 40-45K for the starter pack, monthly pay is 15k.
check www.ipnxnigeria.net for details.

@Aso_Rock I am not a cafe operator , I want a good connection for my online biz , I am an internet marketter and I need a very fast connection

nikekenny:

okay

And mind you, its a 24hrs service they render

has any body used glo 3.5g network for internet connection, and how is the speed.

Visafone EVDO is NOT good. It sucks monkey balls in terms of speed. It's pretty much like the Starcomms EVDO repackaged with a new name.

Now, don't get me wrong, the service is stable and reliable. However, I have a couple of peeves:

1. I paid for the Gold service which has a data rate of 300kbps*. This should give me a max download speed of 37.5KB/s** (300/8; Note: 1 kilobyte = 8 kilobits). I've only ever got a max download speed of about 22KB/s. And attaining this speed during downloads is even rare. On average, I get about 15KB/s. This is just not good enough.

2. NAT. How hard is it for an ISP to purchase IP blocks? Seriously. I want a direct connection to the Internet, and not through some private nework.

Now, the reason I decided to try the Visafone service was because the Starcomms EVDO service went from fast (I was able to get a max download speed of 200KB/s last year) to slow (recently, max download speed was about 20 to 25KB/s), and the NAT thing. However, it turns out they're pretty much about the same service with different names.

Good luck with your choice.

*kbps = kilobits per second
*KB/s = kilobytes per second

It's a good discussion -- only if it helps someone.

My new comments will not add much, so why post again? Because I see there are some people who prefer to simply punch holes, but that too is okay, after all what we all say here are opinions. Just like a guy will swear by his bank, another will swear by his school, etc.

I agree that until you have a taste of many ISPs, you really cannot say which is the best. That is why you should listen to what others say, because you cannot test them all without buying their equipment, and that is impracticable.

I doubt if my opinion is the best one, but when someone asks "how long does it take to download 100MB", I'm initially inclined not to venture any answer, because some questions are asked not really to receive answers, but well, who knows?

For the avoidance of doubt, just this morning, using the Glo 3G UMTS, I downloaded 1MB in 16 seconds - yes Sir Sixteen seconds! How long for 100MB, do your Math! Try that for size!

Like I said, no new information here, because I made the same point in an earlier post.

All said, I still say go for Swift Broadband because of the consistency in both download and upload speed.

I hope this contribution sounds friendly to all. I only wanna help

I'm outta here!

i use starcoms and it is affordable and aint too bad, however, i have spoken to many experts and they advise SWIFT BROADBAND, Ihope to get it myself, i hear you can hit 150kbps if lucky

anyone heard of AOL? i mean Africa Online, that is the connection i used as someone asked,and as seun or someone asked, downloding file of 100mb takes approximately 8mins BUT they charge in $$ not naira.

i will say the best, you can be driving and till browse without disturbance with connection.


please stop saying multi-links or starcomms sucks, they are dial-up ,what do you expect from dial-up?(expect of their EVDO) fast speed?there wont be vsat,broadband and the rest if dial-up connection are GREAT,,so don't bury multi-links and starcomms dial-up please.

@shigidi

sorry are my drunken eyes playing trick on me or you did a mistake in typing that:

shigidi:

i hear you can hit 150kbps if lucky

150kbps for a broadband connection? please tell me you did a mistake, slipping of the hand please?

IPNX iwireless wimax is bluddy good. I switched over to them from starcomms dial-up, and, even though it's not quite as fast as my 2MB BT broadband connection in London, it's the nearest to it I've ever used in Nigeria. They say it's 400kbps, and it actually feels like it. Check their website and call the contact number there, as well as fill in the online form. They will contact you.

@agboifo: My problem with the Glo platform is the bandwidth limit. Hell, I could easily exceed 10GB of usage in a week. If this bandwidth limit gets removed, then by all means, I'll jump on the platform.

I'd recommend iwireless broadband - its super fast, and can be shared with many pcs

@ poster, hope this helps

1

While MTN is yet to release tariffs on its 3g/3.5G network, if you are on an MTN flat monthly subscription (N13,500 monthly), you can use 3G/3.5G where there is coverage. Here are results of downloads we have done with MTN 3G (the device used was not 3.5G enabled):

13mb file download: 8 minutes
57mb file download: 35 minutes
7.36mb file download: 11 minutes

You can use MTN 3G with a USB modem, PCMCIA card, or your phone as a modem.

This is the fastest peeds we have obtained yet on any internet connection in the country. Of course, there may be others.

has any body used glo 3.5g network for internet connection, and how is the speed.

At least one member of our team has used Glo 3G and has a fair report. Speeds are pretty much in the same range as MTN 3G/3.5G.

Hope this helps.

really one won't know the actual speeds at which one uses his/her won internet connection,

if there is a policy on QoS, then all these would not arise,

frankly speaking i used to think 21st century was okay till they messed up big time,

on a portable note, starcomms = 20%
multilinks = -10%
Visafone = neva tried them
glo = neva tried them
reltel = 15%
mtn sharkpod = 50% at first and then 10% now.

well thats my own opinion, i'll get the glo umts and see whats up

@ everyone,

All the technologies have been proven to work i.e wimax, evdo, vsat, e.t.c. but the truth is that, they never really attain their potential. why?

there are mainly two reasons for this.
1. source of network of the ISP: the fastest link to the internet in Nigeria today I think is through the SAT3 backbone. so an ISP that subscribes to this should be relatively fast, also the amount of bandwidth the ISP subscribes to matters, imagine tryin to share an 8mb bandwidth amongst 1000 subscribers, no way!, it would always be slow.

some isp actually lease bandwith from other isp's
some isp's use vsat, (slower than SAT3, more prone to disruptions)


2. BUT THE BIGGEST ISSUE ABOUT SPEED IS DEFINITELY THE GREED WITH THE ISP's :
they never ever think of growth, they just keep signing on subscribers and not expanding their network, its like what happens to our cell phone operators atimes. there should always be a load factor they should consider which they never do and the regulatory bodies neither aren't concerned bout the quality of service being provided!, its our 9ja way i guess.


Personaly i'd advice anyone looking for quality service should target the small upcomming ISPs there networks definately won't be clogged up yet!


Bless!

is better you try swift talk connection for your cafe you are a thief while will you be using multi-link for business and you want it to be fast . multi-link have to charge you to court for that because it is made for one computer not for cafe or you go can for vast connection if you need any assistant this is my email dn_dele@yahoo.com.i work in a cafe that use it .
i am their engineer over there and the cafe is using up to 10-12 systems .one love

visaphone is the best for now, better that multilinks,starcomms etc, another fast connection is glo 3g but its abit expensive

My concern is not just about speed but coverage as well. It makes little sense for me to shell out good money to get a connection which works like magic when I test run it in VI only to get Home to Egbeda and find that it has no coverage.

Can someone please give us a list of the vairious networks, their speed, and where we can expect to get good coverage using them?
My Glo 3G USB modem is not giving me any joy at home in Egbeda so I am back on my lowly Multi-Links (at least it works).

I want to open a cyber cafe with 10 - 12 systems, but I need a reliable ISP to serve the cafe. I am considering using a VSAT connection or a RADIO connection and any other suggestion available. In the area of VSAT I have done some research on the VSAT aspect and I came out with three ISP

(1) DIRECT ON PC: Vsat equipment 180,000 + 3 month subscription of 36,000 per month
(2) ACCELLON:       Vsat equipment 170,000 + one month subscription of 34,000
(3) Globalmicro:     Vsat equipment 220,000 + one month subscription of 40,000

I have been looking for radio service ISP but I have not been lucky doing so. I will like any body with good radio ISP to inform us.

Also if any Wireless broadband support cyber cafe let us know.

What I am actually looking for is reliability, good bandwith and affordability

am not sure we have a completely reliable internet provider in the country for now,just got starcomms last week,i hope i will get value for my money.but the appropriate authorities should please check the activities of this service providers.we are paying so much and not getting value for our money.

i realy do not know wch is faster.

but for me , i use Multi links + onspeed service and its 100% FAST.

i mean VERY fast

multi links hawui black box N25000 + N200 card per day

and you will use the N200 card to make calls

the internet is FREE.

I would say reltel is quietly but surely heads above starcomms and the other crap connections that I don't want to mention.
On the broadband end, I would root for I Wireless, though I don't think their coverage is very wide,

For me, the key is mobility and reliability so ain't nothing wrong in having two connections with one as standby

don't think there's anything like fastest. what serves your needs. broadband should do

NIGCOMSAT recently started selling it's bandwidth to ISP's. What this means is Nigeria will have a direct connection to the internet. So our present broadband providers (Swift, Visafone EVDO, Glo 3g, Starcomms EVDO etc) will technically increase in speed. I have already sampled the potential speed at Multilink's switch direct and I achieved a download speed of 630kb/s. That means it takes me roughly 3-4 minutes to download 100mb. However, I have no idea when ISP's will start rolling out this service for consumers. So my advice is wait for at least 1 month. Then make sure you ask your ISP if they are using NIGCOMSAT. For now, whenever, you connect to the net you're probably using an gateway (Satellite) in South Africa, Isreal etc. So you can't get particularly fast speeds. Glo are already laying a fibre optic backbone connected to NIGCOMSAT so everyone will basically be using fibre optic lines (land line). Then you can then decide which ISP to use over your fibre optic line.

None of this seems likely to happen soon, so all of you are just going to have to wait. Just manage your present internet connection for now.

While iWireless is good, the coverage is still quite limited.

By the way, members of the Alireta team had an interesting experience this evening at work. On MTN 3G/3.5G, we regularly get between 280 and 400 kbps, with brief bursts of up to 500 (and on a few occassions 600) kbps when downloading or streaming video.

It was amazing to witness the MTN connection deliver a brief burst that peaked at 2.74 mbps!! It was like time stood still for a few moments that the connection hovered/wavered there, before it dropped back to a steady 400 kbps.

Of course, in comparison with MTN's nationwide coverage, 3G/3.5G coverage is pretty much limited to commercial centres for now. Where we advise caution is that MTN is yet to announce official 3G/3.5G plans and tariffs.

Nigeria Rocks!

There is money to be made in Nigeria by smart entrepreneurs.

From what I have read here so far, it costs b/w 45-100 thousand naira to have an internet connection (broadband) installed in Nigera, not 4getting the monthly 15,000 subscription fee.

Compare this with the UK where most broadband providers give free routers and charge b/w 6-10 pounds as monthly subscription (unltd download). The new mobile broadband (just plug ur USB stick and u r up and running) costs 15 quid a month.

Now do the maths, compare the figures for Nigeria and the UK. Not forgetting the quality of service (connection speed etc + customer care).

Don't tell me stories on how businesses generate their electricity in Nigeria etc. How about the high cost of labour in the UK.

Considering the fact that the average monthly minimum wage for a civil servant in Nigeria is about 25K (probably less than this), how many Nigerians can afford to pay 15K internet monthly subscription + about 70K for connection?

The average monthly minimum wage in the UK is about 800 pounds (mainly low skilled jobs) and upto 3,000 pounds or more for highly skilled jobs. This is after tax. If somebody earns £800 a month, s/he can comfortably pay £7 monthly on internet connection. Juxtapose this with the minimum wage in Nigeria vis a vis 15,000 monthly subscription.

Why are the BASIC things in Life seen as luxuries in Nigeria?

My Take is that Nigerians are unduly been ripped-off! And nobody is complaining. Even the govt agencies like NCC, SON et al does not seem to be doing much to protect the interest of Nigerian consumers.

I almost lossed my breath when I heard how much MTN declared as profit recently. No wonder Vodafon is still regretting missing out on rolling out in Nigeria.

There is certainly so much money to be made in Nigeria by savvy entrepreneurs! Men, Nigeria rocks!

every body seems to be talking about swift talk but they are saying they don't have converage in Igando area does any one have any other network they can recommend , don't mention multilinks , starcom or Visa fone please. I also think the Glo 3g is good but how much does it cost and how can one get it , business is becoming frustrating I can't browse from home again expect going to cafes where one has to contend with yahoo boys

You read when a guy said that he bought the Glo 3g and reside in Egbeda, sad to say, the conection has no coverage in his area, what the big deal using it in Igando then?

FIGURE IT!

hi,
I work in a well known ISP that has its coverage in Abuja, we hav so mani costumers on our network.
our equipment cost is 150,000 and subscribtion is 10,000. Our service is reliable and veri efficient throughout 24hrs/7das,

Its a broadband service with high speed gaurantee and well secure.

for more information, pls contact me on 08065358406 or mail me on johnejo5@ahoo.com

thereafter, I will let 'u know about our reference site/client

Pls can you tell me what to do about my Glo 3g mobile internet issue. I paid 30k to purchase the package (which includes one month's subscription). At the point of purchase i was told it covered the whole of lagos but alas! i av never used it for 24 hours and my money is running. I think NCC should know about this deception that our telecomms operators put up.
I live in oko-oba area of agege.
Thanks.
Segwise