View Full Version : Broadband Ratings Report: First Draft
Hi folks
I am glad to announce that the first draft of the March Broadband Ratings Report is now available. It can be downloaded from: http://home.telkomsa.net/rudolph/bbr.pdf
Your comments/suggestions will be of great value. The last time your feedback ensured a good final product, so please comment on the report!
Regards,
RPM
stepper
16-03-2005, 09:55 PM
it looks good in its 'draft stage' good job guys!!!
I was shocked to see that Brazil has cheaper connectivity as compared to Mzantsi-Afrika; seriously , hawu $izwe haikona man.
sybawoods
16-03-2005, 09:55 PM
As a 512 unshaped user and tester, I have to say that your summary perfectly encapsulates the pro's and the con's of the service, and am very comfortable with the relative score it got. Looks good - great work, again!
Why are all the services not present?Might be good to mention that HomeDSL192 had only just been introduced and there were hardly any people that had it installed to be able to test.
Gimli
16-03-2005, 11:13 PM
Eish man, it hurts to see iBurst down and out in this survey but I suppose they had it comming with all the issues they had. I am really happy with my connection but have not had it for long. It looks as if they are sorting out their issues and hopefully they can give Telshlong a run for their money if future.
Good job and let us know when you need testers again, maybe my tests can help dragging them up there again. :)
Gimli
16-03-2005, 11:32 PM
By the way, do you have demographics of the iBurst testing, so we can see how many users tested and connecting to which masts?
Hi Gimli
Unfortunately no demographic information was collected as part of the testing. I will try to include this in the next round...
Regards,
RPM
Have any questions?
If you have any queries regarding
this report, the ratings or general
broadband services, simply head
over to our forums on
www.myadsl.co.za or
www.mybroadband.co.za.If possible could we have a url that redirects to either a dedicated Broadband Ratings Reports sub-forum, or otherwise a dedicated sticky Broadband Ratings Reports thread, something like:
www.myBroadband.co.za/BRR which redirects guests to
http://www.mybroadband.co.za/vb/forumdisplay.php?f=XX
OR
http://www.mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=YYYYY
Another reason for suggesting this is there will over time be several additional releases of the Broadband Ratings Report, it would be nice if guests reading an older version could quickly & effortlessly get to the latest, as well as any discussion threads we all may have subsequently started.
kaspaas
17-03-2005, 08:01 AM
Very interesting.
Sentech beating iBurst for one.
I would love to be a fly on the wall at both Sentech and iBurst!
For a niche product, Vodacom 3G scored well in a generalised survey!
Also interesting: I see that the Egypt package is at 36% of average income. I guess that is a reason for Telkom crawl ADSL - it will be better than that. Now they can claim with ICASA they have an option for the poor.
VQuest
17-03-2005, 08:14 AM
Brilliant job guys. Well done. There's only one thing that makes me cringe. The verdict for ADSL384 says "Good Price". We know this means it's a good price compared to the other total rip-off prices from telkom. But we also know how Telkom thinks and how they like to twist things to suit them. It sounds like we feel that having to pay 46% of our average income is a good thing.
I really enjoyed the International price comparison. It shows just how shocking Telkom's pricing really is.
Brilliant job guys. Well done. There's only one thing that makes me cringe. The verdict for ADSL384 says "Good Price". We know this means it's a good price compared to the other total rip-off prices from telkom. But we also know how Telkom thinks and how they like to twist things to suit them. It sounds like we feel that having to pay 46% of our average income is a good thing.
I really enjoyed the International price comparison. It shows just how shocking Telkom's pricing really is.
Hi VQuest
Thanks a bunch for the feedback! As you mentioned the price is certainly not ‘good’ in an international context, but in a local context it scores well in that department. Since we would like to stay completely objective in this report regarding our scores, write-ups etc we simply looked at the results produced by our formula and use that as a guideline. If I had to give my subjective views this report would have looked very different :D Unfortunately that will make it less respectable…
Regards,
RPM
Celemasiko
17-03-2005, 09:14 AM
Excellent work again.
diabolus
17-03-2005, 09:19 AM
For a niche product, Vodacom 3G scored well in a generalised survey!
It's a niche product? I've researched high and low to get good internet without paying R600+ p/month 'flatrates'. The -only- service i could find was 3G. Survey didn't mention it specifically, but the R600 p/month package is just one of many, you can get 'onto' 3G with a prepaid sim, no contract and a datacard paying purely p/MB. Based on that i'd say all other services are niche instead , especially since Vodacom now sells PCMCIA-PCI adaptors to plug into desktops [which i'm doing as well at home], so not a laptop only thing either.
All in all good survey, the 3G results is amazingly accurate to what i get
Gaz{M}
17-03-2005, 10:49 AM
A good report and professionally put together. I do have some suggestions. In order to add that last bit of spit and polish, i would clean up the language a little - it's a bit informal. Secondly, if it's there it not obviouos enough - say prices Incl VAT. And lastly, in general the wording seems to "praise" Telkom and Sentech for their good offerings, rather than being "objective" as you aimed to be. Always draw comparisons relative to the competitors. Let me give an example:
> dont say DSL384 if affordable. It is NOT affordable by 99% of South Africans. Say it is the "least expensive offering in relation to overall performance". This clearly states that although it is a good offering, it is still overpriced.
> dont say DSL384 is a "great alternative" to ISDN or dialup. Rather, it is a "potentially cost saving alternative". The general idea is not to give ANYONE the impression that adsl is in any way cheap or affordable.
> For the international section. Mention EXPLICITELY that the percentage scores should not in ANY WAY be compared to the local percentage ratings. I can see it now
""Telkom quoted the MyADSL broadband report, saying: Our HomeDSL384 scored 74% while international offerings such as BT Yahoo 2Mbit DSL only scored 56%, making Telkom's offering significantly better overall."" <--- THIS CANNOT HAPPEN!!!!
I think you get the idea of what im trying to say here. Make sure your wording is in no was complimentary in terms of price, only RELATIVE price. We cannot afford to be misqouted after we've spent so many countless grueling hours building up so much credibility.
And finally, i hope this helps, i really do not in any way want to sound critical, i want to help. If you don't like what i've said, i'll gladly accept your rantings...
Later..
ps: You left off the "GB" for 3"GB" under DSL512
wantedz
17-03-2005, 11:18 AM
At the moment the products are rated for the following categories - price, speed, reliability and support.
An idea for the next test - Bring in a category for usability. How usable is this product for the market that it was developed for ?
Hi Gaz
Thanks a bunch for the feedback…exactly what I am looking for. We might make a few changes, but some things can unfortunately not be changed without changing the nature of the report. The percentages, for example, are set and can not be changed without having to develop a new system. Your wording suggestions are definitely of value and I will try to change a few things…
Please keep the feedback coming!
Regards,
RPM
kaspaas
17-03-2005, 11:24 AM
How would you measure usability for a market?
This opens a can of worms - it can easily develop into a cat fight where marketing managers claim RPM misinterpreted the target market and intended use.
For starters, I doubt if Telkom loves the idea that businesses use a single ADSL line to provide 20+ employees internet access. if you have a look at the history of ADSL in SA, it obviously was never intended to be used as such.
How would you measure usability for a market?
This opens a can of worms - it can easily develop into a cat fight where marketing managers claim RPM misinterpreted the target market and intended use.
For starters, I doubt if Telkom loves the idea that businesses use a single ADSL line to provide 20+ employees internet access. if you have a look at the history of ADSL in SA, it obviously was never intended to be used as such.
Hi Kaspaas and WantedZ
Any new addition must be a variable that is easily tested, produce accurate results and is defendable when challenged. It is acceptable to base certain results on user feedback (surveys), but it must preferably be objective measurements backed by survey results. We must make certain this report remains accurate and as objective as possible. As Kaspaas suggested, usability might open a can of worms...
Regards,
RPM
IMO trying to measure usability against any advertised target market is asking for trouble.
When it comes to broadband services in SA [and possibly internationally as well] the target market is everyone who needs access to the internet, the end user decides which broadband service best suites their own personal requirements [or those of their company/employees]. IMO the report aims to give people enough info to decide which broadband service is best suited to their needs.
Gaz{M}
17-03-2005, 01:03 PM
RPM its a pleasure. I'll have another few read-throughs and see if there's anything else..
w.r.g the percentages, i didn't imply chaning them in any way, since the rating system is already very good. What i meant was that you should clearly state on the coverpage for the international section that "The following percentages for international offerings do not correspond in ANY way to the previous percentages given for the local broadband offerings." If Telkom pulls a jippo and qoutes an example like i gave in my earlier post, it is easy to respond with this disclaimer and nail them for effectively misqouting us fraudulently (i can see the court cases now..)
Has anyone used that dial-a-lawyer service from FNB? We might need to get friendly with those guys..Hehe..
I'm especially preoccupied with latency lately, so I would really like to know how each service scored on latency - perhaps the GRAPHICAL RESULTS SUMMARY could include a latency graph?
bwana
17-03-2005, 01:23 PM
I agree Gaz{M} - I can just see Telkom misquoting the report to their advantage.
In addition I dont think that saying that the price for any of the local offerings can ever be said to be 'good' regardless of it is comparatively good or not. Were there any other nations that scored worse than SA internationally? If not then this should be pointed out.
Just my 2 bits worth.
BTW - dont let my comments detract from the fact that it’s an excellent bit of work!
martin
17-03-2005, 01:24 PM
I'm especially preoccupied with latency lately, so I would really like to know how each service scored on latency - perhaps the GRAPHICAL RESULTS SUMMARY could include a latency graph?
Yip, if you have that info available, I second that. I think this will please the gamers no end.
rebel
17-03-2005, 03:57 PM
> dont say DSL384 if affordable. It is NOT affordable by 99% of South Africans. Say it is the "least expensive offering in relation to overall performance". This clearly states that although it is a good offering, it is still overpriced.
> dont say DSL384 is a "great alternative" to ISDN or dialup. Rather, it is a "potentially cost saving alternative". The general idea is not to give ANYONE the impression that adsl is in any way cheap or affordable.
> For the international section. Mention EXPLICITELY that the percentage scores should not in ANY WAY be compared to the local percentage ratings. I can see it now
""Telkom quoted the MyADSL broadband report, saying: Our HomeDSL384 scored 74% while international offerings such as BT Yahoo 2Mbit DSL only scored 56%, making Telkom's offering significantly better overall."" <--- THIS CANNOT HAPPEN!!!!
Good points.
jasweb
17-03-2005, 04:11 PM
Hi RPM
Hope it is not just me... but the file seems to be corrupted...
Can you check please?
JASWEB
----Why does it have to be CAPITAL?----
Hi Jasweb
It seem to be just you :D It opens just fine on my side…anybody else having problems?
stoke
17-03-2005, 04:38 PM
DSL 512 : that it also carries a 3 usage limit. Missing the "GB".
You could graph based on cost / cap and cost / reliability and cost / downspeed and cost / upspeed.
Also - next month methinks a table at the end detailing all the combinations must be inserted.
e.g.
- Teklom 512 | Telkom ISP Unshapped 4GB | Rn.nn | 510 KB up | 212 dn
- Teklom 512 | Teklom ISP Shaped 3GB | R n.nn | nnn KB up | nnn dn
- Teklom 384 | Teklom ISP Shaped 3GB | R n.nn | nnn KB up | nnn dn
....
rabbiddog
17-03-2005, 04:40 PM
rpm and co
great work.
jasweb must be you :)
Gatecrasher
17-03-2005, 04:59 PM
I tried to send some results for the tests, but the BBST test just didn't work at all with Iburst - there was definitely a serious problem iro latency that caused massive packet errors - not actual errors, but errors in so far as the specific testing software was concerned. Perhaps because the software is designed for first world countries with low latency, the 600ms cutoff is way too low.
I can max out my Iburst connection at 1Mbits/sec at will at any time on multithreaded downloads (local or international). None of the tests use multithreading - yet nearly all download managers use multithreading. Even single threading, I never get below 900Kbps on the the Telkom speed test, yet this local test was not part of the test data. Why not?
So IMO the Iburst evaluation in your report it is totally meaningless, which is rather sad.
I totally agree as to the poor service from WBS, although they would argue that they have not officially launched the product yet. But the performance stats are just ridiculously absurd. How representative are your samples? How many testers did you get? And how many of the submitted tests actually worked?
On another topic. I also have a problem in ranking Vodacom3g as the cheapest broadband option. That is a clear misrepresentation, and dangerous if people accept your report at face value. I think a lot more thought has to go into what is cheap and what is not, because the offerings are so different.
Otherwise, good work! :D
Hi Gatecrasher
Thanks for the feedback!
Let me respond to a few of your points:
The packet loss results played a very small roll (very low weight) in our final result calculation. The main reason was the unreliability of results.
The BBST was only one of three results that were used to calculate the final results (also web based tests and TCPIQ). I think we can not expect testers to conduct more tests than that, and when one considers that the Australian Government based all their findings on only the TCPIQ results I think we can consider these results respectable at least. We will certainly consider local tests the next time if we can find an independent local testing method.
Regarding price: our formula takes everything into account, including installation costs, minimum monthly costs, price per Gig, cost of additional bandwidth, cap sizes etc. Vodacom 3G has the lowest basic monthly cost, but the final percentage gives an indication of the effect of its high BW charges.
As you might know we have also done a user survey to see whether our test results and user feedback corresponds, and it did indeed! iBurst users were particularly unhappy with the service and experienced severe downtimes, lack of service and slow speeds. I therefore think the final result is justified.
BTW: Do you think iBurst should have scored higher? Do you feel it is currently better than V3G or MW?
Regards,
RPM
Gatecrasher
17-03-2005, 05:25 PM
Was there a questionaire with the testing? Because I didn't get one. Its just that I see you mention a customer satisfaction rating in the report...
On reflection, I suppose you are in a difficult position when compiling a report like this because it requires volunteers, yet volunteers make notoriously bad samples.
Gatecrasher
17-03-2005, 05:30 PM
BTW: Do you think iBurst should have scored higher? Do you feel it is currently better than V3G or MW?
I can only speak for my own experience. So the answer to both questions would definitely be "yes".
Out of interest, how many Iburst users were included?
Was there a questionaire with the testing? Because I didn't get one. Its just that I see you mention a customer satisfaction rating in the report...
On reflection, I suppose you are in a difficult position when compiling a report like this because it requires volunteers, yet volunteers make notoriously bad samples.
There was indeed a questionnaire…no idea why you did not receive one. Customers gave feedback regarding various issues, including customer satisfaction. Vodacom3G scored very high in all departments regarding helpdesk, support & general satisfaction with the service.
I agree that a more suitable sample is possible, but it is highly unlikely that we will be given access to a user DB from all four companies to randomly select users. And then to contact them and where they will then be tech savvy enough to install the software, schedule testing, mail results and perform web based tests is even more unlikely :D. It is also not suitable to ask the providers for stats for obvious reasons. These volunteer based tests are commonly accepted as a good method to evaluate true performance of the various offerings, and I think the results are quite accurate. Since the average results from the regular testers corresponded with each (both between individual testers and between BBST and TCPIQ) other it further creates trust in the results…
Regards,
RPM
I can only speak for my own experience. So the answer to both questions would definitely be "yes".
Out of interest, how many Iburst users were included?
There were 8 iBurst testers that was involved in the ‘full testing’, and a few more that only did one part.
Just out of interest, why do you feel iBurst is better?
Chris
17-03-2005, 06:21 PM
RPM, although there were seemingly enough iBurst testers, surely it would be unfair to test them before their commercial launch? In terms of different pricing packages, reliability etc?
Hi Dominic Rooney
Maybe correct, but I think users are certainly interested. I think it will look great for them if they can show a significant improvement after their launch...
Regards,
RPM
Gatecrasher
17-03-2005, 06:45 PM
Just out of interest, why do you feel iBurst is better?
This is a personal view.
I guess its because I regularly acheive the 1024/384 speeds. I've had only 1 serious incident of downtime (+-9hrs overnight) in 3 months. I don't need an ISP or Telkom phone line. Overall, its been more reliable than my old ISDN64 line, and much cheaper to run. It also works very well on my home network.
Of course, I will grant that not every iburster has had the same expereince (although many have). A lot depends on the quality of the signal and which base station you are connected to. Northcliffe and Bryanston have been notoriously poor.
I think there is almost certainly a greater variation in the experiences of Ibursters than with say ADSL, that's why it is probably more important to have a representative sample.
If you plug in your modem and get a great connection, Iburst is unbeatable. If you don't, you may be in for a torrid time. But that is why there is a trial period available, so you can test your signal.
So while you may give them a low rating, I suspect that WBS can barely keep up with demand.
RPM, although there were seemingly enough iBurst testers, surely it would be unfair to test them before their commercial launch? In terms of different pricing packages, reliability etc?Actually I think "iBurst" should read "iBurst Pre-Launch" or "iBurst Soft-Launch" - those are both phrases used officially by WBS, I think that would be fair.
PS: I have never seen WBS officially using beta testing phase so I would not recommend using the word beta.
Chris
18-03-2005, 03:51 PM
Oh yeah, what about 'Uncapped' offerings from UUNET and the like? Although it does use the Telscum ADSL service, it would be of interest to me and alot of others probably to know which service [if I wanted uncapped ADSL] is the best.
diabolus
18-03-2005, 07:37 PM
Looking at the scores laid out like this:
MY Wireless 256______7 - 4 - 7 - 6 = 62%
Vodacom 3G_________8 - 3 - 9 - 8 = 52%
i assume speed carries a -really- heavy weight? Just looks rather peculiar from this angle.
hArTh
18-03-2005, 08:47 PM
Looking at the scores laid out like this:
MY Wireless 256______7 - 4 - 7 - 6 = 62%
Vodacom 3G_________8 - 3 - 9 - 8 = 52%
i assume speed carries a -really- heavy weight? Just looks rather peculiar from this angle.
3G gets nailed by its high price. R600 for 1 GB.
Gatecrasher
18-03-2005, 10:21 PM
3G gets nailed by its high price. R600 for 1 GB.
Agreed. Which is why it is so wierd that it gets one of the top scores for price!
GC, have you accounted for the startup prices in your own comparative broadband service report?
Hi guys
Speed, Reliability and Cost are the three main players. Cost, however, consists of many factors (cost per Gig, installation etc). The ‘ratings’ should just guide the user as to the relative weaknesses and strengths of the service. Here the cost rating gives a simple comparison of monthly cost. Other issues regarding cost (like usage limits etc) is explained as part of the write-up.
Regards,
RPM
Gatecrasher
18-03-2005, 10:40 PM
But then diabolus has a valid point. You can't have it both ways.
Looking at the scores laid out like this:
MY Wireless 256______7 - 4 - 7 - 6 = 62%
Vodacom 3G_________8 - 3 - 9 - 8 = 52%
i assume speed carries a -really- heavy weight? Just looks rather peculiar from this angle.
How do you get 62% to 52% when Vodacom 3G clearly outpoints MW256.
If you have penalised 3G for cost, why give it 8 points in that category?
Edit - missed your last post, rpm, which explains it. Thanks.
br34k
19-03-2005, 01:15 AM
it doesnt look like you included the price of the standard phone line rental you HAVE to pay every month along with your ADSL line rental?
beyers
20-03-2005, 11:08 AM
Hi br34k
Line rental is included in the pricing. This is one of the the major factors that brings Telkom's ratings down. Without line rental, the good reliability and reasonably good speed of ADSL services would give them a much better rating, even internationally .
I think br34k is referring to the analog phone rental cost component and not the line rental for ADSL... seeing as you can't have ADSL without it.
Just for clarification, were these costs also taken into consideration in the tests?
(Personally I see this as double charging on Telkom's behalf seeing as both use the same line, which would justify including this cost.)
beyers
20-03-2005, 08:37 PM
Aha ... no, it was not included. Not viewed as part of the broadband offering.
rebel
21-03-2005, 09:16 PM
It should've been.
Can someone explain why an analog line is required for ADSL? I still don't get it.
beyers
21-03-2005, 09:38 PM
Hi rebel
This is indeed a somewhat complicated issue:
If we include this as part of the cost, we will also have to give Telkom credit for the (very useful) extra service (phone calls) somewhere else in the rating system. This will cancel the cost effect for the greater part. Also, it will complicate the rating process considerably (quantification of the advantage of the telephone service vs its cost - something outside the scope of this rating system).
Furthermore, the assumption that residential users will have a phone line in any case, ADSL or not, is plausible, and hence this was omitted as a factor in the rating process.
CB
Hi Beyers
Just as a matter of interest, if you were to add R86.05 onto the ADSL rental for HDSL384 and HDSL512, how would those services be rated locally (percentage-wise)?
rebel
21-03-2005, 09:47 PM
If we include this as part of the cost, we will also have to give Telkom credit for the (very useful) extra service (phone calls) somewhere else in the rating system.
CB
No you won't. The calls are expensive so you'd actually have to reduce their points. I never use my phone line to make calls so the analog line rental should be optional in my opinion.
I do, however, understand that this would complicate the rating system, but the fact of the matter is the ADSL costs in that rating system are incomplete.
beyers
21-03-2005, 09:53 PM
Hi ic. If no credit is given to Telkom for the service offered, it will bring them down about 2.7%.
beyers
21-03-2005, 10:03 PM
Hi rebel. Point taken wrt paying for the additional service of the telephone.
However, most people (by far) will use a telephone line, with ADSL or without it. To add this cost indiscriminately for all ADSL users (for ADSL cost) is neither fair nor accurate.
rebel
21-03-2005, 10:09 PM
No problem. Thanks for clearing out this issue.
Hi ic. If no credit is given to Telkom for the service offered, it will bring them down about 2.7%.Hi Beyers, thanks, basically it doesn't make much of a difference right now then.
I do think that the non-optional nature of the Analog Line Rental (even when one never makes/receives analog calls) is a negative, and nowadays with VoIP being legal it means that Telkomonopoly force every ADSL customer to pay for something that is never used by them.
...
However, most people (by far) will use a telephone line, with ADSL or without it. To add this cost indiscriminately for all ADSL users (for ADSL cost) is neither fair nor accurate.There is a MyADSL poll (link below) - so far it looks like most want the Analog Line Rental to be optional - i.e. only if they also want to make calls from the same ADSL line.
If you had a choice, will you still require/ ‘pay for’ your analogue phone line with your ADSL connection? (http://www.mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?opt=polls&act=show_poll&id=11&disable=2)
Perhaps this could be factored into the equation for the next report?
beyers
21-03-2005, 10:41 PM
As far as ratings are concerned, optional would indeed be better. It will add accuracy. At present there is an element - statistically irremediable - of inaccuracy in the fact that the analogue line rental cost cannot be taken into account in the ratings - it will not be easy to get an estimate for the number of ADSL users who do not use the analogue phone line, although their number is believed to be small. But a small number or not, they are out there and should ideally be counted. That is possibly what rebel means when saying the ADSL cost in the rating is incomplete. He is correct, it is not 100% complete, but it is not far from being 100% complete.
With optional analogue phone, the phone rental cost can be left out of the ratings with 100% confidence.
<off_topic>
To put a bit of extra spin on this whole Analog Line Rental issue, my viewpoint is that the Analog Line Rental is in reality a combined charge for: Telephone Number Rental; AND
Maintenance of the copper cabling including replacements due to theft etc etc etcIf ICASA could force Telkomonopoly to shift their Analog Line Rental billing paradigm to separate charges for the above [A] & [B], then [A] (Telephone Number Rental) should become an optional thing for ADSL customers, whereas [B] (call it a copper maintenance cover charge / "insurance scheme") would be compulsory for everyone - whether you have a telephone number with your ADSL or not.
That could then prompt a slight reduction (to the amount of [B]) in the monthly ADSL Rental (which most MyADSL members would agree should not be charged at all - only ISP costs since R404 ADSL installation already charged).
Another interesting phenomenon - Skype have launched SkypeIn (so far local numbers in UK, USA, France, Hong Kong), which means that for €30 you get a SkypeIn telephone number that people can call you on internationally.
Where am I going with this? - well, say I were an ADSL customer of some company X in London, and I didn't have an actual telephone number with my ADSL (my choice), and I wasn't being charged for this (optional) by company X, then I could simply get a SkypeIn number for €30/year if I wanted to have people call a telephone number through to Skype on my PC. Now, with Telkomonopoly you do not have this choice, and if SkypeIn ever came to SA you would have no choice except to use Telkomonopoly (since you'd already be paying for it).
Hope that all makes sense :).</off_topic>
avr-rulez
22-03-2005, 07:56 PM
Hi all,
Good looking report, could greater clarification be given to the International offers w.r.t the actual speed offering?
Thanks
A
well done... very good report. the comparison to overseas products is a nice touch... maybe someone at Telkom who can read might catch the hint ;)
Charles
28-03-2005, 11:06 AM
Great - One comment though I would include New Zealand in the international ratings as they compare most to SA in terms of the possible economies of scale achieved by telecommunication providers. E.g. they have the roughly the same amount of people as SA earning a non-subsistence wage.
jamieb
30-03-2005, 05:21 PM
rpm, please place a link to the doc on the main site. thnks.
Hi folks
I have uploaded the second draft of the broadband ratings report. The link is:
http://home.telkomsa.net/rudolph/bbr.pdf
There were only a few small changes from the comments in this thread. You are welcome to further comment on the report as the final report will only be released after the weekend.
Regards,
RPM
brian finch
31-03-2005, 01:56 PM
Hi folks
I am glad to announce that the first draft of the March Broadband Ratings Report is now available. It can be downloaded from: http://home.telkomsa.net/rudolph/march_br.pdf
Your comments/suggestions will be of great value. The last time your feedback ensured a good final product, so please comment on the report!
Regards,
RPM
the support offered by telkom is, in my experience, almost non existent since their call centre number 0800375375 is so poorly serviced. I have waited for 30mins + without reply.
I have written to Telkom Customer Care Manager Bonolo Namane on 2 occasions (in Feb and March) but have yet to receive a reply.
Have other users had similar experience ????
Gaz{M}
31-03-2005, 04:07 PM
Much better! I get a general 'feel' from the report that although the DSL offerings are pretty good, they are still horribly overpriced. The international section is brilliant as it truly reflects how poor our broadband is in comparsion to other countries. And best of all, there's no way that Telkom can bitch about you comparing us to '1st world countries' as you have egypt and brazil in there. The whole 'SA is far from USA/Europe' excuse is also killed by the australian offering. Well done to the report team!
Have any questions? If you have any queries regarding this report, the ratings or general broadband services, simply head over to our forums on www.myadsl.co.za or www.mybroadband.co.za. Our knowledgeable members are always willing to give you a straightforward and honest answer to any questions you may have.I feel it is important to extend the text a little by mentioning that the report cannot be expected to state every big & small difference (ITO Pros & Cons) between the various broadband services, therefore it is essential that broadband newbies do ask forumites to confirm whether any particular service will meet their own individual expectations & needs. - this is where forumite expertise is soo beneficial - helping newbies to make the right choice first time, rather than finding out that the service they chose does not do everything they signed up for.
I am going to be a bit two-faced here on the whole analog line thing, and suggest that the report mentions that Telkom's ADSL services give you a telephone number and the ability to make/receive ordinary telephone calls, although it is a separate compulsory monthly rental fee. I say this bcos there will be many broadband newbies that are confused about whether you still get to keep your telephone line and number when converting to ADSL.
This is advised since it gives better value for money and subsequently lifted the overall percentage of this service from 73% to 74%.I'm not too sure about the wording here bcos the overall Local percentage rating shows 73% in the ratings block. Perhaps this should read something like:
A 3GB ADSL ISP account is advised with HomeDSL384, and lifts the overall HomeDSL384 2GB percentage from 73% to 74%.I know this is nit-picking, but in the interests of consistency use the same headings throughout: Who should get it? Who should use it? Who should get this?I know this is also nit-picking but I personally would prefer "potentially always on" instead of "always on", otherwise the impression is that uptime is always 100%, and broadband newbies might be confused and not understand that one can disconnect at will.
Sentech’s MyWireless 128 provides you with always on, mobile Internet.From what forumites have posted, the ability of MyWireless to maintain a connection on the move is questionable - perhaps it does not do automatic tower switching like a Cellular phone does (or allegedly iBurst) or perhaps a coverage issue. This is supported by the numerous comments about losing the connection if the IPWireless modem is moved even 1cm, as well as poor coverage which generally requires purchasing expensive external antenna solutions or making a cantenna. MyWireless seems fine for a sustained stationary connection that can be moved to another location with coverage - I hope that makes sense. I think this is important bcos anyone considering MyWireless might be under the impression that they can make a VoIP call with a laptop whilst on the move - and without having the connection drop. Perhaps the text should also mention that coverage is not as good as it should/could be.
While it is not as well priced as the MyWireless 128 service,Probably better if it was worded:
While it is more expensive than the MyWireless 128 service,One thing I feel strongly about is mentioning that the minimum contract period with Sentech MyWireless is 12 months (although some resellers do allegedly offer 30 Day Notice options), and that WBS iBurst does have a 30 Day Notice contract option or 24 month contract. Knowing that one does not have to sign a 24 month contract is actually a very important thing that broadband newbies need to know - especially where Telkom is concerned, so perhaps the availability (or unavailability) of a 30 Day Notice contract needs to be stated for every local service.
Also, in the Sentech MyWireless128 and MyWireless256 rating blocks, I suggest changing the Pros from:
Price, unlimited usageto:
Unlimited usage, PriceMy motivation is that it underscores the fact that the unlimited usage is the reason why the price is comparatively good.
On page 6 under Vodacom 3G, I think it is essential to mention the following mobility aspects of the service: The Vodacom 3G service is a truly mobile solution due to the ability to automatically fallback to GPRS in areas that do not yet have 3G coverage.
International Roaming - this is the only broadband service that actually allows you to be on the move & connected beyond the borders of South Africa.In the "GRAPHICAL RESULTS SUMMARY" column, under "Monthly Cost" there appear to be 3 unnamed services - not sure which is supposed to be MW128, iBurst and DSL512s[haped].
Lastly, please accept my apologies for only making these comments now - I started reviewing the 1st draft and never really finished due to work pressures :).
On the whole this is an excellent report with great content and presentation that makes for quick & easy access to comparative broadband service information - extremely well done RPM & Beyers :).
PS: There was something else that I have now forgotten - methinks related to MyWireless - if I remember I will post it :D.
I was just wondering if you could confirm how much of an effect the iBurst 3GB cap had on its overall rating% - if you get a moment I would appreciate it if you could run the numbers through the formula for: iBurst 3GB cap on international traffic, but totally uncapped local traffic :D.
iBurst totally uncapped on both international and local traffic.This is in no way important or urgent - just curious to see if we can get WBS to see how their rating would improve...:evilconsumergrin:
beyers
01-04-2005, 08:38 PM
Hi ic
Since the rating system is a comparison between the relative performance of the various broadband offerings, changes in some of the factors may have an influence on all the services' ratings (for the local comparison at least). Hence we should be very careful with hypothetical situations.
In any case, I had a check. If iBurst is made uncapped, its percentage is 50% (other services' ratings drop just more than 1 percentage point).
...
http://home.telkomsa.net/rudolph/bbr.pdf
...Hi RPM
Just wondering if that url is the latest/final version of the March 2005 report?
Regards
ic.