*Chasing ICASA*

[LoneGunman]

I was wondering.. (forumites will know this usually means 'ohoh he's up to something :)

has anyone actually taken the time to phone ICASA, and get put through to someone with some degree of power, who can comment on the alleged coming Telkom price hikes and changes?

I'm eyeing the ICASA phone-numbers, and it occurred to me that I don't recall ever seeing anyone report back on forum, on a live direct questioning of an ICASA person as to what exactly the situation is, and whether they consider what Telkom apparently intend, to be in direct contravention of their recent findings. (Increased costs, increased resets etc)

There's been a lot of posts, but has anyone simply phoned them, got put through to someone higher than a secretary, and simply ASKED them about the various concerns?

I'm thinking of giving them a call, waving the name of the paper I write for, to reach someone - and asking them a range of simple direct questions.

[MFour]

Now see, why did'nt I think of that.
Go LG go!!!

[mccrack]

Hehe,

Sweet LG, let us know the outcome ;)

[justinct]

Ye, go you good thing go!!
Start phoning them now already, the earlier you start the sooner they will recognise your voice (dunno if thats a good thing..)

[native]

Go for it and if you need help the forum members are here for u :D

[LoneGunman]

just spoke to someone at ICASA, and I'm apparently the first one to call them - the person I spoke to had NOT heard about ANY Telkom increases or changes for Nov 1st, he gave me a fax number and an email address to send through the alleged 'reseller notifications' that Telkom have apparently sent out.

I explained the effective removal of the whole 30gig market, given the new pricings - and mentioned the apparent 12 hour resets which are also going to come into play.
Again, the person had NOT heard about any of this.

I asked if I could put the fax/email addresses on forum for people to send info through, he said 'rather not, for now' - so I won't. I don't have access to a fax machine easily, but email is no prob.

If folks would like to help streamline the process here, if they could find and list
links to the various threads where apparent 'reseller notifications' have been
posted by forumites - so that I can cut n paste, and send through to the ICASA person..
(And then follow up with phone calls to him, to determine whether these various letters are a) real and b) do come from Telkom.

The ICASA person I spoke with, seemed genuinely shocked by what we're almost beginning to take as being a fait accompli - so I NEED a little help in finding the various letters that forumites have posted here and there, which apparently come from Telkom to the resellers, so that I can forward these to ICASA via email, for them to check whether this is in fact genuine.

If so, from the sound of it, ICASA themselves will find out fast, and take steps - as what I described sounded appalling to the ICASA person..

If any forumites who ARE resellers or part of reseller-companies, have received Telkom notifications of pricing changes for Nov 1st, and would like these to be passed onto ICASA - please PM me the text, and/or any online links that will confirm any aspect of changes you're having to make, because of them. (web announcements online to your customers or Telkom person & number where fax/email was sent to you from..

Naturally all info is totally confidential - and if there's data you don't want
ICASA to mention to Telkom, please advise..

But I have a fax number, and email address of an ICASA person who seemed to be totally unaware and shocked at the projected (alleged) coming Telkom changes in pricing and costs of bandwidth..

So let's find out for certain, BEFORE Nov 1st.

Either PM me details, or post links to the current reseller letters on forum, or if there're pdf's of the letters sent by Telkom available, PM me how to get them, and I will pass them to ICASA, for their immediate attention..

I don't mind getting egg on my face, if all of these claims prove to be bogus - because then at least we'll know for certain, and that's the important thing.

If they're true, then help me provide ICASA with the basic clues and evidence for them to make some phone calls to resellers to confirm, and then to go on the attack at Telkom itself..

[Sneeky]

All I have seen on these boards is a lot of talk about 1 Nov, occasionaly with a suspect looking 'email' with no names or return email addy.
I am not saying it isnt a fact, just that I have never been convinced.
I think it was a 'thermometer' carefully placed to test the water temp so to speak.
edit: if you do find some proof please post it here, and while you are at it, slip in that neat little piece to ICASA about how its cheaper to fly data than use Telkom, by accident, hehe.

[RoosTa]

Wow, LG, thanks for doing this. Big UP to you. Maybe we should email and inform the ISP's as well?

I think ISP's are too scared to do anything about Telkom, look at how imaginet reacted (by introducing hardcaps [at first], just because they received a letter from Telkom telling them to), why they do that without questioning, is beyond me.

[Farquaon]

Yeah, LG, great work....now the people who alleged the Nov1 stuff must just send the proof now!

[Spamtheman]

Perhaps someone who does work for one of the ISPs that have been informed of the changes could make an anonymous post here and we could forward that on to ICASA, sorta like a whistleblower status. We'd hate for anyone to lose their jobs or for Telkom to retaliate towards their business.

[Debbie]

Has anyone contacted the ISP/Vans association of SA? I forget what they are called ("ISPASA" isn't right,is it?).

[mccrack]

ISPA

http://www.ispa.org.za/

Sent them a mail back in the day about contacts at the SNO and never got a reply, may you have better luck.

[LoneGunman]

I find getting peoples phone numbers, and calling them, is always better than relying on email, at least when it comes to Government-ish things.
What we take for granted as common knowledge, may not be known at all, to some person stuck in an office - who, if you're friendly, informative and polite, can be quite pleased that someone from the public figures they're important enough to call..

[Scooby_Doo]

here's a thought.... What if Telkom is just making all this ***** up to pull ICASA's attention from the other things wrong with them like high line rentals etc...

[Alkine]

Well the fact that they did not know about it make it look as if that plan would fail :)

[brucel]

keep such news rolling in, thanks for these updates.

[DragonLogos]

Sweetheart (LG) it might come as surprise, but some of us have been barking at ICASA (previously known as the IBA) for a good time. One of these things being the broadcasting content of local music and local content on TV. For our troubles we were given another small bit of the cake

You might (and others) want to take note that this comes under review again (by ICASA) in the year 2006/7

[LoneGunman]

'Sweetheart'? DragonLogos - you have ISSUES :p

No one's saying that nobody else has 'done anything' - merely that in this specific instance - there's (to me) too much talking on forum, and not enough talking with the authorities.

If 'some of you' were 'barking' at the IBA previously - why even mention it now - if you havent done any 'barking' over this Nov 1st concept? (You think your previous efforts somehow rest on their own laurels and negate your duty to continue agitating at fresh problems?)

It's not a peeing contest, or an attempt to elevate individual personalities/forumites above others who may well have done good work before (or even are doing it currently and quietly) . We're all on the same side.

So the more 'barking' or agitation, the better - regardless of who's doing it.

I'm not egotistical enough to ever operate 'on behalf of the good of others' - I just got personally irritated with the absence of any tangible examples on forum, of direct contact with the Authorities who can determine the truth, validity and legality of Telkom's intended plans.

If more people put their ego's or supposed altruism aside, and operated purely and honestly from their own selfish perspectives, to agitate at the authorities on this and other issues - that personally anger them - there'd be more continual progress.

Attempting to only act when there's 'consensus' from a majority of folks, tends to mean any action is:

a) slowed to a crawl
b) reduced to a bland 'agreeable to everyone' consistency of watered down effectiveness.
c) ego-issues and 'personality conflicts' emerge to cause in-fighting, which can be used by the enemy to drive wedges into the coalition, and co-opt and sidetrack individuals who have some influence over the others.

Acting as an individual, removes all of these problems. And doing it while saying blatantly 'I'm doing it for myself' - means there's no chance of being suckered into the bogus model of being a social crusader 'doing it for your good'. The hell with your good, I'm doing it for mine. Nothing wrong with that at all. If other folks benefit, great - but I'm not doing it for you or them. I'm doing it because I'M pissed off.

[biltonguy]

Brilliant LG, suprised that no one has contacted icasa on the 1st nov issue!
Good to know icasa (or atleast the person you spoke to) didnt know and seemed shocked about it.

I've also heard so much talk about 1st nov but no real official/tangiable proof, it all seems a bit dodge in light of the icasa adsl findings. :confused:

[DragonLogos]

I normally have issues when I get booted off the Internet

[snoopy_inc]

as i will mention this again. This telkom thing about per gig is a scare tactic.

I find it very hard to believe that they would implement this strategy into our environment.

This has come up before on numerous occasions. WHERE IS THAT PERSON THAT STARTED THIS #@@#%.

If i could talk to him i would tell him what a piece of work he is.

Dont you think its amazing how when you ask for proof they disappear and dont offer it.

Sigh
AGAIN
Well done LG

[Daaru]

See hellkom's Website for the doc about the price increase to send to ICASA.

[silversurfer]

otherwise drop ur email addy into a PM to me, and i will mail u the documents, with the proposed prices per gig, and package prices wholesale prices, with telkom letter head and signed by one of their heads.

ppl... thinking this is a scare tactic by telkom... im sorry... this is real.

[silversurfer]

ye...its on helkom'z front page. I have the same 2 page letter. Those same prices where quoted on myadsl weeks ago, but only in txt format. This is with telkom letter head and all.

[doobiwan]

LG, any word from ICASA yet?

Can you post the ICASA phone number again, I can't see mto find it . .

[booswig]

After a long time people wake up. I have requested proof of this announcement last month already, and a lot has been said, with no-one coming forward with any proof.

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?p=274299#post274299

[Daaru]

People ICASA promised to release thier report "ICASA ADSL Report: Media Release" dated: "2005/08/04".http://www.icasa.org.za/Article.aspx?Page=84&Article=32 That they'd have the doc out by early September. We're now at mid-Septmeber going on to late-Septemper.

Anyone got contacts there to find out about this?

[DragonLogos]

Talking of things ICASA

I had a moan a while back about a submission on PSTS that mysteriously went missing..... then the whole lot went missing, and a month later it's still not there....

Nothing, like it never happened, I smell a cover up

[LoneGunman]

Done a minor update - nothing major to get excited about, so don't get your hopes up - but its an update -
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=27038&goto=lastpost