Internet research company World Wide Worx says in 2009 just 10.8% of the population had access to the Internet.
Though technology costs are coming down, many households cannot afford the initial outlay to get online (buying a computer and a means of connection such as a telephone line or 3G "dongle").
This is the market segment Vodacom's WebBox will most likely appeal to. This gadget is essentially a keyboard with built-in storage and modem. It connects to any TV with RCA cable input (like the ones used to connect to a DVD player), and uses a sim card (with data services activated) to access the Web.
It's simple to use. It operates on an Android 2.1 system and the browser is Opera Mini 5.0, which is agile and light on data but won't render Flash sites. A 3G version of the WebBox is due to become available in future, and will make for slightly faster browsing.
Though primarily a device for surfing the Internet, it includes a few apps for other uses, among them a simple text editor and calculator.
The real test will lie in data costs and usage. The initial bundled offer includes 100MB, which can be topped up manually if you've chosen prepaid or automatically on a monthly contract.
Source: Financial Mail
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