由于当地网络传输速度太慢，南非首都约翰内斯堡一家信息技术公司改用信鸽帮其传送数据卡，结果证明，信鸽的传送速度果然比网络要快。据当地媒体报道，这只11个月大的信鸽飞抵目的地用了1小时8分钟的时间，如果加上数据下载的时间，此次传输总共用了2小时6分钟57秒。如果用当地网络的话，这段时间只能完成4％的数据传送任务。因为带宽不足，当地的网速和连接状况一直很不好，而且使用费用也很高。南非目前正在兴建一条连接南非和东部非洲的水下光纤线路，并有望在明年南非世界杯之前启用。届时，南非的网速将有望得到显著提高。

A South African information technology company on Wednesday proved 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 80 km (50 miles) from Unlimited¹ IT's offices near Pietermaritzburg to the coastal² city of Durban with a data card was strapped³ to his leg.

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

SAPA said Unlimited IT performed the stunt⁴ after becoming frustrated⁵ 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 new 17,000 km underwater fiber⁶ 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.