Ever since the news broke last week that Vodacom, South Africa’s largest cellular network operator, had its bid to buy fibre network operator Maziv blocked by the Competition Commission, we’ve been inundated by sob-stories of how this “setback” will “widen digital exclusion” in the country’s rural and underserviced areas.

Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) offer some of the most stable and efficient internet connectivity services available today. Yet in South Africa, these providers find themselves struggling to compete against fibre and cellular internet services, often perceived as superior despite their limitations.