S.Africa's WBS launches new broadband

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's Wireless Business Solutions (WBS) said on Wednesday it had commercially launched its WiMax broadband network system in partnership with Vodacom and Intel Corporation.

WBS spokesman Steve Briggs said WiMax -- a system which allows access to high-speed internet at a distance -- would provide fixed broadband internet services to subscribers.

"It's going to be fixed-WiMax installation and it's not going to be a nomadic or roaming version," he said.

Dobek Pater, a telecoms analyst at Africa Analysis, said WiMax would offer users an additional choice in data and voice services available in South Africa.

In 2006 Vodacom Group -- which is owned by London-based Vodafone and South Africa's fixed-line telephone company Telkom -- bought a 10 percent stake in WBS, with an option to increase it to 25 percent.

"Vodacom is definitely pumping in money and is paying for the roll out of the WiMax network. Intel is not paying for anything right now," said Briggs.

WBS said its WiMax network consists of 120 base stations already deployed in Johannesburg, Cape Town and KwaZulu-Natal province.

(Reporting by Gugulakhe Lourie; Editing by Richard Hubbard)