COMPLAINT: Press Ombudsman

[Peapod]

For the Urgent Attention of the Press Ombudsman

I would like to complain in the strongest possible terms about Telkom's continual referral to their entry level internet connectivity services as "broadband" services in the press, in advertising and on their website.

Broadband is universally generally accepted as meaning a data transfer bandwidth greater than 1Mbps. A 192kbps service and a 384kbps service do not constitute broadband and I believe this is a deliberate misrepresentation by Telkom to mislead the general public who are largely uninformed. Please see the links listed below for definition of broadband:
A classification of the information capacity or bandwidth of a communication channel. Broadband is generally taken to mean bandwidth higher than 2 Mbps.
www.3gnewsroom.com/html/glossary/b.shtml
Generally refers to a user access network connection with bandwidth approximately 1 Mbps or more. It is essential for graphic-intensive websites, music services and video applications. Common forms of broadband include DSL (Digital Subscriber Line), cable modem, WiFi (wireless access), and Metro Ethernet (Ethernet access over optical fiber).
newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2004/hd_051904c.html
Telkom manipulate their position as the Fixed Line Monopoly and as they have a finger in every pie regarding telecommunications in this country, should be brought to book. A standard 512Kbps service anywhere else in the world costs less than 8% of the GMI (Gross Monthly Income) and makes the service affordable to the majority of the population. In South Africa, a 512Kbps service will cost the average South African 105% of the GMI. Please see the tables on www.hellkom.co.za for more information on price comparatives.

Telkom referring to their 192 service as broadband and affordable is nothing more than misleading and a further manipulation of their position.

Please see the following links for evidence of Telkom's reference to their services as "Broadband"

Press:
http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2005/0506030919.asp?S=Internet&A=INT&O=FPIN
From this press release from Telkom:
In pursuit of its objective to manage prices down and promote widespread Internet access, Telkom launched the HomeDSL 192 low-level broadband solution for residential customers at R329 in March this year.
HomeDSL 384, Telkom's middle-level broadband solution for those residential customers on the faster Internet lane, will be reduced from R449 to R359 a month.
http://new.george.co.za/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=129

http://free.financialmail.co.za/05/0422/technology/atech.htm

http://www.telkomsa.net/support/NoticeBoard/MR20050124.jsp

http://www.telkomsa.net/index.jsp

http://forum.kingsley.co.za/index.php?op=ViewArticle&articleId=17&blogId=1

http://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/433284.htm

http://www.finance24.com/articles/companies/display_article.asp?ArticleID=1518-24_1691778

Website

http://www.telkom.co.za/portal/page...sl/home_dsl.jsp where...DSL384 is called " HomeDSL 384 kbps broadband access"

This is from a MONOPOLY who is about to release results on Monday in which they declare they made roughly R180 A SECOND in net profit in the financial year ending March 2005.

The public has a right to be informed correctly about what the services are (they are not broadband) and what they are paying for.

Yours sincerely

Lets see what the cat drags in

[Voodoo]

Very nice. /Me also waiting to see what the cat drags in.

Cheerz
Dave

[LoneGunman]

yeah, good one.
Only thing I'd suggest, is be careful of using CAPS in letters to officialdom - this tends to, in Media circles - suggest that the person complaining/submitting the letter, isn't quite as sussed/together or professional as they'd like to appear.

The caps thing, although it might appear to be useful for drawing attention to specific phrases - when received in the professional Media field, does downgrade the effectiveness and perceived 'quality' of the letter, in the eyes of the recipient.

I'm not nit-picking or stirring at all - it's just a helpful suggestion, in terms of content-style - to get emails/letters received in a slightly more effective way, without any jarring sections that might cause the recipient to dismiss an otherwise excellent letter.

For the rest of it, good one :)

[Peapod]

For the rest of it, good one :)
Thanks Chap. Point taken and will put your advise to use.

[Peapod]

Your complaints about Telkom refer.
I deal with erroneous reporting by newspapers, which means that a newspaper is not to blame if it reports accurately what someone or some organisation says, even if that someone or organisation says is false. In these two instances, it appears that your complaint is that Telkom's statements are not true, not that the newspaper did not report them accurately. Consequently I cannot accept your complaint.
As regards advertisments, the Advertising Standards Authority deals with complaints about them.
Yours sincerely,

Awesome - ASASA say go to the pres ombudsman, press ombudsman says go to ASASA. I'm going to write a letter to the newspapers instead.

[Peapod]

oh just got this from the press ombudsman .....

The usual thing is to make a public challenge on the facts.
Press ombudsman
so guess a letter to the papers is the only recourse.
writing an open letter to Sizwe.