STAY INFORMED - WORLDWIDE STATS

[Peapod]

I will keep trolling through relevant sites for stats on worldwide ADSL implementations and posting pertinent information under this topic. If knowledge is power, all power to us.
All the best
Peapod

Check out http://www.point-topic.com for awesome global research.
registration is free and the stats will [:0] and [:(!] you.
SA disadvantaged in their implementation? My a***! Mexico, Chile and Brazil put us to shame.

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From Point-Topic - World Broadband Statistics: Q2 2003
http://www.point-topic.com/contentDo...0q2%202003.pdf
See article http://www.point-topic.com/content/DSLAnalysis/DWD+7+Analysis+piece.htm and guess who didn't poll Telkom in their internatinal research!!!

[Mux]

Maybe it's not such a bad idea to ask them to include South Africa in their stats/report.
At least will be number 1 in something - PRICE [xx(]

[Peapod]

Funny you should mention that...

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Sir
I read your article (http://www.point-topic.com/content/DSLAnalysis/DWD+7+Analysis+piece.htm) with interest and would like to inform you that South Africa beats Europe hands down for ADSL costs. A concerned bunch of users have formed a forum http://www.myadsl.co.za to raise awareness of the way our one and only Telecoms provider is milking the local market. Please could I ask you to forward this email to your researchers so that our ADSL stats can be included in your research and perhaps through this, some international focus can be brought to bear on what our Telecoms provider is getting away with.
Thanks and regards
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[VQuest]

Brilliant work Peapod. Let us know if/when you get a reply.


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United we stand!
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[SK33T]

Peapod,one word,BRILLIANT
Good move[:D]

[kaspaas]

In the legal system there is a creature known as a "friend of the court"

This is an expert that voluntary submits evidence to assist the court on a complex matter.

Telkom has to file its rate card for 2004 with ICASA soon.

I don't know the legalities of everything, and don't have time (or money) to speak to lawyers on this, but it might be an idea to submit a "friends of ADSL" briefing with ICASA.

There is a lot of facts & knowledge that has been published between all of us.

[Peapod]

Thanks for the back pats chaps. Feeling all glowy [8D]
I think we should submit a formal complaint to ICASA as a matter of priority anyway, as MyADSL.
I am swamped with other stuff but will draft something we can all add our 5c worth to. Keep an eye on this thread for a post soon.
Also, the comprehensive Q3 global stats (61 countries)is available from Point-topic for a fee. I am going to lobby them to ask if we could have a copy for zilch as their contribution to MyADSL - you can only ask but!

[ASF]

The problem with ICASA is:

1. The board is comprised mostly of broadcasters with little or no telecommunications experience / understanding.
2. Telkom ignore their rulings.

To affect real and meaningfull change in this country the following really has to happen:

1. We need a Minister of Communications who is qualified to hold the post.
2. ICASA needs individuals who are skilled in the telco area in order to make informed decisions internally without having to contract exteral parties with their own agenda's and finally...
3. ICASA rulings must be enforceable
4. The telco industry must be deregulated in order for competition to become a reality.

peapod - your invlovement and approach up to now has been invaluable. In my opinion things are not going to change overnight. I believe we should have a strategy aimed at:

1. Lobbying the politicians (mabey the official opposition) for the longer term political iussues like no 1 & 4 above.
2. Lobby ICASA directly in the medium term to help them get their own house in order as per 2 above and..
3. Be a thorn in the side of Telkom in the short term to force them to deliver what they are supposed to.

At some point competetative forces must come into play in the SA telco scene and I feel that we as a body of informed users would & should be represetative of the average user. Our strength is in:

1. Numbers - growing daily...
2. Level of knowledge - it is clear from the posts that people are more informed about issues & technology than a few years ago....
3. Independance - no company or product punting here....
4. Financial - none of us are in this for the money. We offer our time & experience for the betterment of the industry & users as a whole....

My 2c worth...

[Peapod]

points taken ASF - and a clear strategy is materialising very fast.
To clarify why i say we should lodge a formal complaint:
ICASA have a protocol which they HAVE to follow for formal complaints lodged with them. They HAVE to respond formally within a given time period. If they are issued with a formal complaint detailing specifics and complete with comparative study data, they have no choice but to verify that data, investigate the matter fully, and come back with a legitimate response. There is no way that Telkom can bulls*it away what is backed up by hard cold fact. Should ICASA not respond, it adds even more weight to our argument that the Telecomms industry is rigged/incompetent from bottom to top. ICASA failing to respond legitimises open letters and editorial in national broadsheets and in the news. Who is the opposition communications person BTW?

[ASF]

Yeah I agree - lets send them some compliants then.

1. I feel that we should lobby them to include more telco specialists to their board. The communications regulator cannot be representative & have a focuss on the broadcast industry only.

2. We should also probaly lodge a formal complaint against Telkom with regard to their ADSL product.

If we are going to do the above though IT MUST BE PROFESSIONAL. No point in sending them a half-baked document. Do you know if they have a formal complaints template or do we compile the document in our own format? In any event I would assume that we would need to identify the list of issues we wish them to address? Any ideas on what this should be?

The DA representative for telco issues is Dene Smuts. Look in the deregulation forum posts for info and communications with them to date...

[Peapod]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH
I just logged onto the ICASA site and found the "complaints" page which allows you to lodge a complaint against BROADCASTERS only, and very conveniently in 5 languages.
OH POOOOOOH. Now I'm going to have to phone them.

By the way, discovered that ICASA are looking for active input on a number of items to be gazetted - please have a look - your head will spin.
http://www.icasa.org.za/Default.aspx?page=1058

There is also a tender out for an independent contractor to ....get this <font size="3"><b>"Tender for audit of Telkom roll-out targets and service"</b></font id="size3">
Click http://www.icasa.org.za/Repository/r...3%20Dec.02.pdffor details.
I am saying nothing till someone else does....

[paf]

Good stuff, Peopod. You are really on a roll!

Something funny about that tender:
Published in Bulletin dated 3.12.2002.
But close date for bids was 15.01.2002??? What a joke.

The bidder had 5 months to complete. So it should've been completed by now...wonder what the result are. Anyway, seems it was only for Telephone networks.

Currently there is an interesting one out for new regulations pertaining to the "Provision of wireless internet using ISM bands". Hmmm..

[desraid]

why not ask ICASA if we can volunteer for telco division.
i'm sure we know more about ADSL than anyone of ICASA and even telkom staff. [:D]

[ASF]

Like I said - ICASA (read broacasters) are a useless regulator to the telco industry.

[rpm]

Hi ASF

You made some excellent points in your previous post. We must definitely stay independent, and as you suggest continue to remind Telkom that the service is not what it should be. Before MyADSL everything was in the hands of Telkom, and the only thing an ADSL users could do to complain was to phone 0800 375 375. All complaints were simply ‘binned’ and no true statistics would ever be revealed.

Unfortunately they stepped on the toes of knowledgeable Internet users, and hence this site developed to what it is today. I don’t think they anticipated an organized action to improve ADSL. For years they had their own way with the SA telecommunications market and nothing happened…until now. I think their initial negative response was to be expected as they definitely do not want this to continue. Unfortunately there are many of us that will not get tired of this. And as the service grows, so will the amount of our members.

Regards,

RPM
rpm@myadsl.co.za