[Infowarrior] - Pigeon transfers data faster than S. Africa's service provider

[Richard Forno]

(c/o J)

Pigeon transfers data faster than S. Africa's service provider
Posted 8h 12m ago |  Comments 2  |  Recommend 1
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-09-09-pigeon-faster_N.htm

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) — A South African information technology  
company on Wednesday proved that it was faster for them to transmit  
data with a carrier pigeon than to send it using Telkom, the country's  
leading Internet service provider.
Internet speed and connectivity in Africa's largest economy are poor  
because of a bandwidth shortage. It is also expensive.

Local news agency SAPA reported the 11-month-old pigeon, Winston, took  
one hour and eight minutes to fly the 50 miles from Unlimited IT's  
offices near Pietermaritzburg to the coastal city of Durban with a  
data card was strapped to his leg.

Including downloading, the transfer took two hours, six minutes and 57  
seconds — the time it took for only 4% of the data to be transferred  
using a Telkom line.

SAPA said Unlimited IT performed the stunt after becoming frustrated  
with slow internet transmission times.

The company has 11 call-centers around the country and regularly sends  
data to its other branches.

Telkom could not immediately be reached for comment.

Internet speed is expected to improve once a 17,000 km underwater  
fiber optic cable linking southern and East Africa to other networks  
becomes operational before South Africa hosts the soccer World Cup  
next year.

Local service providers are currently negotiating deals for more  
bandwidth.

Copyright 2009 Reuters Limited.