South Africa’s ADSL at 120 000 users

[rpm]

http://mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=1466

[ettubrute]

White outlines the many advantages of ADSL and rightly notes the value of offering Internet access at a fixed rate.

“24 hour access to the Internet at a fixed price offers a good value proposition and attracts customers away from dial-up services. ADSL customers do not have to manage account surprises at the end of the month. They know exactly what their monthly Internet access costs are,” White said.

*sarcasm on*
Big help if you have to limit yourself to download less than you did while using dial-up combined with infinitcall
*sarcasm off*

The average South African cannot afford Telkom’s ADSL services at the current price which means that the market will soon become saturated.

Unfortunately, this is very true! That's why I'm still on dial-up!

[Chris]

“Usage based billing of bandwidth to ISPs allow them to introduce smaller packages at a lower cost. While some ISP’s have been vocal in the media, others have introduced innovative new products which are taken up by the market,” White said.

But you "forget" to add that bigger packages are way more expensive pre- Nov. 1.

And a line rental decrease should be coming soon according to your wonderful theory of "economies of scale".

[Sneeky]

120 000users X R359.00(ave dsl line rental) = R43,080,000.00 per month ==> R516,960,000.00 per year

for what?

[ettubrute]

for what?

Shareholder's dividends, and profit

[krycor]

Any signs of another price cut ? I reckon its gonna slow at 150k mebbe ? dang it i want a rental price cut..

[Tux]

Any signs of another price cut ? I reckon its gonna slow at 150k mebbe ? dang it i want a rental price cut..

Does the term "when hell freezes over" mean anything to you? Won't happen while Mr 1.4gb White & Poison Ivy's still around

[ettubrute]

Add to that: and as long as the consumers are willing to pay the rip-off prices asked!

[Turtle]

Another good article by Cara ... I like the frank and direct style, so conspicuously absent from the general pro-corporate don't-step-on-any-toes "media".

[BandwidthAddict]

Very nice article but I wish Cara had accentuated a few points:

1. Telkom does not provide internet access. They provide ADSL line access only. TelkomInternet and competing ISPs provide the connection to the internet.
2. The internet connection is not 24/7 as the ISPs are forced to reset the connection at least once every 24 hours and in some cases once an hour. During the reset, the connection is not available and any current connection is dropped. Thus, should you be talking to someone on Skype, your connection is dropped and you have to wait for the reset to complete so you can reconnect.
3. White mentions the 1.4GB figure again, where is his source and has it been verified?

Peace.

[Geek_wannabe]

I agree on your number 3. I am wondering where he gets those figures. He is obviously misquoting something. I wish he would just drop down and....hit his head. He is probably the most irretating person in the history of the world. Next to our communications granny.

[kilo39]

White mentions the 1.4GB figure again, where is his source and has it been verified?

This is the average - he gets it directly off the log files - and as an 'average' user I can understand the figure.

24 hour access to the Internet at a fixed price offers a good value proposition and attracts customers away from dial-up services. ADSL customers do not have to manage account surprises at the end of the month. They know exactly what their monthly Internet access costs are,” White said.

Only problem - those costs are too high... immediately drop the line rental - this is an affront to anybody trying to do business in this country and every independant ISP.

Lets not fool ourselves - we are dealing with one company: telkom, telkominternet, saix - whatever - it's the same beast - and we're deep in the belly.

[pimal3]

Did the actual ADSL usage of Telkominternet users not rise a little bit in November? If I remember correctly, Telkom capped only users above 3GB if the average usage rose above 3GB. Some Telkom users really raped them as reported elsewhere and eventually the users were capped and then uncapped and then capped again. Already some Telkom users are capped in December. I think his 1.4GB average is not valid anymore.

[kilo39]

Telkom capped only users above 3GB if the average usage rose above 3GB.

- the contract is - 3 gigs a month per user - if they choose to run their loads differently this is their issue and their advantage.

Already some Telkom users are capped in December. I think his 1.4GB average is not valid anymore.

Individual users over 3 gig will be capped according to telkom

telkom sucks - and I do watch my bandwidth every month - though it is never relevant - never been over the limit [embarrassed] - but then [I should write my telkom story]... the individual user bandwidth debate is really irrelevant - some use less, some use far more - so what? Some needs are smaller, some greater - overall is should average out - without some arbitrary bandwidth cap... especially as we are supposed to be 'the leading country for telecommunications in africa' - telkom makes enough money. And the line rental is beyond sick. Rape. Abuse. Pillage and destruction. (OT: Recommend Lord of War to anybody who hasn't seen it.)

[Sneeky]

According to Telkom, 1.4 gigs a month IS BROADBAND, they preach it at every corner.
Almost everyone only uses 1.4gigs pm, that’s it, that’s broadband in Telkoms world, or at least in Stevie, Lulu and Rikus's world.
Nobody needs anything more than 1.4 gigs, it must be so, as they can’t stop talking about it.

The gods have spoken 1.4 gigs amounts to our broadband requirement per person and no matter what you say or do nothing will change that fact, Telkom and their guru's say so.

I personally want to thank Stevie, Lulu and Rikus for looking out for me and making sure that I don’t abuse the system and perhaps in a moment of weakness use a fraction more than that allocated amount which would (heaven forbid) put me into the 'abuser' category.

May I take this opportunity to say, go and F yourselves you dictatorial mofo's.

On a global front you are retarded, might be an idea to try and beat that but then hey, if your bread is buttered on both sides for you by the DoC, why bother.