When the demand for fibre surged at the start of lockdowns last year, Seacom launched a separate and dedicated ISP that focuses on fibre connectivity to the home: WonderNet. One year after its launch in May 2020, the ISP has extended its fibre offering to the business sector, intending to deliver fast, reliable, and affordable Internet to small and medium-sized businesses.
There are a few factors that separate WonderNet from other players in the market. Seacom, which launched Africa’s first broadband submarine cable system along the continent’s eastern and southern coasts in 2009, wanted to create a separate business unit to operate like an agile start-up.
As such, WonderNet was born, and by leveraging a direct connection to Seacom’s high-speed international network, the ISP can guarantee incredible speeds of up to 1 Gbps. WonderNet’s lines are also symmetrical, uncapped, uncontended and have no usage limits – giving businesses all the speed and reliability they need.
Customer service from ISPs is an all-too-common pain point for many South Africans, which is why WonderNet has also set out to differentiate themselves by ensuring their service levels exceed their industry competitors. The process of applying for fibre with most ISPs is a headache; customers often wait days for a callback, not to mention the complex and time-consuming registration process.
With WonderNet, the entire user journey can happen online. Business owners can shop for the right package for their business needs and have fibre installed after only a few clicks. The website’s self-help portal allows customers to change their personal details, view their monthly invoices, upgrade their account or cancel their package – all without having to contact an agent.
Businesses rely on the Internet to run effectively in today’s digital age, so customer service from an ISP needs to be as fast and reliable as the connection they provide. WonderNet understands that network downtime or speed fluctuations have a significant impact on business operations, which is why the company has armed its customer service agents with all the knowledge they need to resolve issues for customers when they need it.
And when organisations are unhappy with the quality of their line, they should not be locked into long-term contracts with a provider that offers a poor Internet connection. Matthew Campbell, Head of SME and FTTH at Seacom, added, “We are confident that our Internet services will deliver on customer expectations, which is why we offer all our WonderNet packages on a month-to-month basis. This puts the power in the hands of our customers, who can choose to upgrade, downgrade or cancel their services at any time.”
WonderNet may only be a year old, but it stands on the shoulders of a giant. With the support of Seacom, this young ISP understands small businesses because it is one. For small businesses looking for quality Internet services that meet their unique needs and consistent support they can depend on, WonderNet’s new fibre to the business packages could be the answer.