Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates, you never quite know what you’re going to get.
The world we live in is proof that there’s such a thing as “too much choice”.
Gone are the days of limited options or distorted supply/demand ratios (unless it’s a Dubai chocolate or working electricity).
Want a burger? You can choose any topping, any meat, and if you’re not feeling for McDonald’s, you can take your pick from synthetic burger like ingredients at any given corner.
Pizza’s have crust choices, brand choices, cheese choices, and even the option to blaspheme with pineapple.
Even our SA staple, Nando’s, has a new variant every second month (vote for Pedro!)
And that’s just the food industry.
The influx of Chinese cars has revolutionised our vehicle market. Clothing is saturated, sneakers are infiltrated, and every brand is imitated. Even our election ballot is longer than a Checkers till slip. What a time to be alive.
The Fibre game is no different. Choosing the correct ISP has become a maze of navigating terminology, promotional deals, speeds, prices, and additional extras. We all claim we’re the best – so how is a customer supposed to know which one really is?
Fear not, because we’ve put together this handy guide for choosing the correct ISP:
- Step One: Choose Vox.
- Step Two: If you’re with another ISP, type in “vox.co.za” and sign up.
The End.
Yeah, we’re kidding. Life isn’t that simple. But hey, cutting to the chase once in a while is quite fun, no? On a serious note, here’s what goes into making an informed (and non-regrettable) Fibre choice:
- Understand Your Needs.
You can’t figure out what you want if you don’t know what you want. And you can’t know what you want if you don’t…. know what you want? Stay with us.
You need to understand your connectivity needs before you pick your Internet package. Just like someone planning off-road weekend adventures wouldn’t be stopping at the entry-level Chery market, so too is your ISP dependent on what your desired outcomes are.
- A casual user is your everyday Joe (or Jane), who just needs connectivity to browse, check emails, and waste countless hours on TikTok (can’t stop, won’t stop).
- Streamers and dreamers are the ones who plan on marathon 4K sessions – in which case higher speeds are your best bet if you’d like to avoid the dreaded buffer (of doom).
- Hardcore users include everyone from gamers to remote workers – people who don’t want lag, and plan on heavy duty usage.
Figure out what you need, how you need it, and what your Connectivity demands are, and you’re already past step one.
- Which Connectivity Calls You?
Internet is Internet, but not all Internet was created equal. Here are your options:
- Fibre: The Head of the Table. The Mac Daddy. The Fibre-Father. Often imitated, never duplicated – there’s only one, and this is HIM.
- 5G: Also pretty fast, does not cause Covid, generally works as a fantastic option too. Possibly the future.
- LTE: Super-fast, easy-to-install, great as a mobile option, failover, or primary alternative where there isn’t Fibre.
- DSL: No school like the old school? You’ll put that theory to test with yesterday’s legacy Internet solution.
- Satellite: From the Pandokkie to the Dorpie, Satellite can connect you anywhere, any time.
- Wireless: Works like a dream, with zero compromise on speed, performance, or installation.
- Decide What Matters:
Some people are speed junkies. For others, it’s all about price. If you anticipate a lot of downloads and uploads, you’ll likely need a higher package. If you’re a casual user, there’s no need for a 1GB line off the bat (unless you feel like flexing).
Faster doesn’t always equal better if you don’t plan on using it. And pay attention – some ISPs (we won’t mention names) have a habit of advertising “up to” speeds that fall short of the maximum.
- Read The Fine Print:
We briefly touched on this in point 3, but many an unsuspecting user has been caught by their ISP – and only realised after committing to a 2-year contract.
Be mindful of Data Caps, hidden costs, installation/router fees, and the cancellation policy of your contract. Sometimes, you join on a promo price which escalates after a few months. Other times, there’s an activation fee despite the “free installation” promo you saw on Facebook.
All ISPs are great before you sign up. It’s the little things further down the line which make or break your experience.
- Listen To the People:
Customer support goes a long way – just ask our Twitter audience. Identify ISPs who are reputable, and who have a reputation for going the extra mile for their customers. Salespeople are great when you call as a new buyer – but how does the after-sale department fare?
The last thing you want is being stuck on hold for hours or being bounced from PRO to Sales to Customer Support and back on deadline day.
Do you REALLY need an automated “smart” Fridge device that tells you when your cucumber is brown? Or a million doo-hickies which serve no purpose other than to make a cool SM flyer? What matters is value for money, support, and the ability to handle your Connectivity needs.
Seems like a 24/7/365 support centre would come in handy then….
Most things in life seem daunting until you distil it down. Ultimately, identifying what you need and what’s important to you is a good barometer for determining what will make you happy. Do a bit of research, ask some questions, sift through the waffle and blah blah, and you should be equipped to make an informed decision.
Now, just spare a thought (and moment of silence) for those of us who signed up when there was ONE national service provider.
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.
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