WAPA Q&A

Wisp OEMs and Vendors Home, Home Office & Business

Q: How do I get technical help from WAPA?

A: We do not directly provide technical training ourselves, but we do provide a forum for members to help one another. Our members include OEMs and Vendors who often have a vested interest in helping you deal with your technical challenges. However, we find that our WISP members often help one another. Many of us who volunteer and work for WAPA are involved in the industry and we have learned through experience that collaboration, rather than competition, is extremely beneficial for everyone.

Mail list overview

Q: What training does WAPA provide?

A: Our members benefit from several guides, checklists, and white papers that we have developed. We commissioned some of them and other material as videos specifically to help our busy members speed up the education process. We still make several documents available because many people find them to be invaluable references. However, there is no classroom training, nor is there instructor-led training; it is up to our members to use the materials that we make available.

Check resources

Q: What benefits do I get from my membership?

A: These are the 9 ways that we help WISPs:

  1. Providing a community for technical support and other interactions through a knowledge-sharing platform
  2. Providing training content for WISPs, such as how to set up a WISP
  3. Offering regulatory advice from a specialist law firm that specifically deals with the wireless industry
  4. Lobbying government through various interactions, including presentations and submissions, for efficient and progressive spectrum management, focusing on TV white space (TVWS) spectrum. It’s the first dynamic, unlicensed, non-line of sight spectrum to go live in SA (1 April 2021)
  5. Hosting regional events and an annual, national event
  6. Educating consumers on how to use WISPs and providing them with a tool to find WISPs in their area
  7. By being the interface between government, industry and consumers
  8. Offering a collective voice for the wireless industry and promoting best practice
  9. Facilitating self-regulation of outdoor, fixed wireless and indoor nomadic wireless

Q: How do I reach WISPs via my membership?

A: We provide OEMs and vendor members several ways to interact with WISPs.

WAPA Offers
Our members prefer e-mail interactions, so we maintain the WAPA Offers Mail List. It is a regular mail received by people who work for WISPs of all sizes. They range from small, non-profit local providers serving their communities, up to large multinational providers who offer a range of connectivity options.

National and Regional Events
We host WAPALOZA, an annual event for the entire fixed wireless industry. We also host several regional events. Our OEM and vendor members have the opportunity to attend as well as sponsor these events.

Regular Communications
Because OEMs and vendors have regular memberships like all WISPs, you receive all the frequent and regular communications they do. That keeps you informed of what is happening at all times, creating opportunities for you to engage.

Q: What do I get for sponsoring events?

A: We host several events throughout the year. WAPALOZA is our annual national event and we also host several regional events across the country. Depending on your chosen sponsorship opportunity, you can:

  • Display your logo with a short business, solution, or service description on our website on our Events page
  • Capitalise on a speaker slot at the event
  • Erect banners and take other branding opportunities
  • Get face-to-face opportunities with WISPs during a dedicated networking function

Q: Can I advertise to the WISPs?

A: Many of our OEM and vendor members find it beneficial to create special promotional offers specifically for WISP members. These are communicated via the WAPA Offers List to an engaged audience of hundreds across the country.

Q: Can I get a WAPA connection?

A: No. WAPA does not offer connectivity. However, our hundreds of members are fixed wireless service providers and they do. Use our Find a Provider tool here coverage request so they can contact you about your needs.

Q: Do I need to register to get connected?

A: No. If you use the Find a Provider tool your details will automatically be sent via e-mail to hundreds of service providers. Those able to serve your connectivity needs will be able to reach out to you directly. You can expect a phone call from one of them. If you do not receive a call you may contact us using our contact form here contact us