由于當地網絡傳輸速度太慢，南非首都約翰內斯堡一家信息技術公司改用信鴿幫其傳送數據卡，結果證明，信鴿的傳送速度果然比網絡要快。據當地媒體報道，這只11個月大的信鴿飛抵目的地用了1小時8分鐘的時間，如果加上數據下載的時間，此次傳輸總共用了2小時6分鐘57秒。如果用當地網絡的話，這段時間只能完成4％的數據傳送任務。因為帶寬不足，當地的網速和連接狀況一直很不好，而且使用費用也很高。南非目前正在興建一條連接南非和東部非洲的水下光纖線路，并有望在明年南非世界杯之前啟用。屆時，南非的網速將有望得到顯著提高。

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.

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 Unlimited IT's offices near Pietermaritzburg to the coastal city of Durban with a data card was strapped 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 stunt after becoming frustrated 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 fiber 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.

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(Agencies)

Vocabulary:

carrier pigeon: 信鴿

（英語點津 Helen 編輯）