Telkom faces a huge fine at competition tribunal

[rpm]

Telkom faces a huge fine

Telkom will appear before the competition tribunal on Wednesday, in a case which may see the company go bust, SABC news reported on Tuesday.

[Xzib1t]

Should they get fined that amount (which I think is highly unlikely) and they do go South, what does that mean for us?

[Mike Hoxbig]

Pfft, I highly doubt that R3.5 billion will see them go bust.

ICASA should be fined too for providing them with a protected environment which allowed them to abuse their market position. And they are also responsible for approving Telkom's tariffs every year. I'd like to see ICASA go bust more than Telkom.

[MickeyD]

Should they get fined that amount (which I think is highly unlikely) and they do go South, what does that mean for us?

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthre...=1#post7734747

[Xzib1t]

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthre...=1#post7734747

Shot man I just found it a few seconds ago.

[nfbs]

“Any fine of R3.5 billion is very big for any company in South Africa to pay and you could have a problem where the company’s survival at stake,” Mike Schussler, director of Economists.co.za, was quoted as saying.

"Telkom’s failed Multi-Links transaction in Nigeria has cost the company more than R7bn" This is what the former Communications minister said. That's at least double this proposed fine.

Telkom was so arrogant in thinking they are superior looking at the monopoly profits they make in South Africa that they lost billions of South Africa's money in Nigeria as well as other failed ventures such as sattelite television.

Telkom monopoly needs to be unbundled urgently to remove its burden on South Africa's society

[j4ck455]

The punnishment must match the extent of the crime. In reality Telkom has abused its dominance and caused more than R3.5b in damages to all of its competitors and consumers. Telkom needs to be split up to separate wholesale from retail, such that the retail entities within Telkom are sold and have nothing to do with Telkom wholesale, if the fine is imposed, it will likely force Telkom to split of its own accord in order to survive, I do not see Telkom splitting voluntarily under any other conditions.

Considering that the R3.5b fine goes straight into government coffers (Treasury Department) and that government's shareholding in Telkom is not likely to generate profits like R3.5b in the foreseable future, I suspect the gravy train regulars will throw their considerable political weight behind imposing this fine.

[MickeyD]

The punnishment must match the extent of the crime. In reality Telkom has abused its dominance and caused more than R3.5b in damages to all of its competitors and consumers.

In that case the maximum fine will be less than R100million. This case revolves around a very specific product range and not the entire telecoms market in SA.

[Salazzar]

Fine them for everything they have robbed us since they have started. 3.5 quadrillion of rands.

[j4ck455]

In that case the maximum fine will be less than R100million. This case revolves around a very specific product range and not the entire telecoms market in SA.

I accept your opinion, however I do not agree with your assessment.

Telkom's abuse of its market dominance has had very real financial implications for all of the original complainants, extrapolate lost earnings over time and R3.5b doesn't fully cover the losses that the complainants have collectively incurred.

I predict you will disagree, and I will agree to disagree with you.

[ajules]

Well it seems if they do get fined it will do more damage than good which just highlights once again what an unhealthy space the telecomms market is in.
Government needs to get rid of its stake in Telkom otherwise the DOC will never be allowed to function properly and ICASA will continue its path of incompetence.
At the moment true telecomms liberalization remains a pipe dream.

[kingrob]

In that case the maximum fine will be less than R100million. This case revolves around a very specific product range and not the entire telecoms market in SA.

[dominic]

don't really care about the fine - it is a sideshow - but care very deeply about the precedent that will hopefully be created

[Roman4604]

Would be nice if the punishment could fit the crime i.e. instead of making Telkom pay out the fine value, rather force them to re-invest it in enabling/fast tracking open access e.g. LLU.

One can only dream though.

[j4ck455]

Would be nice if the punishment could fit the crime i.e. instead of making Telkom pay out the fine value, rather force them to re-invest it in enabling/fast tracking open access e.g. LLU.

One can only dream though.

If government supported such an outcome (which is highly unlikely with so many grubby fingers in the till), the R3.5b would be set aside for rollout projects undertaken by Broadband Infraco. I don't have any confidence in Broadband Infraco, just saying if government genuinely had good intentions, that's what could be done with the R3.5b.