Help! ADSL line stolen.

[Paul_S]

The telephone lines in the area I live in were stolen (again) on the 23 March.
I've been without a telephone line or Internet access for nearly a week now and it doesn't look like Telkom are going to replace them anytime soon.

I phoned a contact at Telkom and someone did some investigating for me.
Problem 1 : There is no spare cable at the store.
Problem 2 : Telkom are thinking of installing some sort of microwave or radio link but that will only happen at the end of May at the earliest.
Problem 3 : I live in an area with poor cellphone reception. About 1 bar signal and 50% of calls drop before I can answer them.
Problem 4 : I live and work from home and the closest Internet access point (like an Internet Cafe) is 40km away.
Problem 5 : No iBurst coverage where I live.
Problem 6 : Cellphones are too darn expensive for voice and data calls!

So what can I do for cheap Internet access on par with ADSL?
I'd even go back to dialup speeds if there was a line.

There are people in the same area that had their lines stolen last November and they still haven't been replaced.

P.S. I'll only be able to read all the replies in about a weeks time when I get to someone with Internet access.

[Jonny Two Shoes]

WTF??! Telkom should wake up!

Anyway all I can suggest is to make sure you have poor cellphone reception for both networks?? MTN and Vodacom? Also check if you get 3G coverage from either.

As far as I know from 1 April 2007 both MTN and VODAC will have cheaper in-bundle internet than Telkom's fixed line DSL which mind you is really messed up.

Just check up on that and also find out from a dealer what you can get that doesnt mean signing a 24month contract but still get 20/19cents per meg rates. That is if one of those networks provides decent reception. Try avoid the contracts if at all possible.

hmmmmmm otherwise cant help you, this is how messed up SA is with internet at the moment.

[spellcheck]

The telephone lines in the area I live in were stolen (again) on the 23 March.
I've been without a telephone line or Internet access for nearly a week now and it doesn't look like Telkom are going to replace them anytime soon.

I phoned a contact at Telkom and someone did some investigating for me.
Problem 1 : There is no spare cable at the store.
Problem 2 : Telkom are thinking of installing some sort of microwave or radio link but that will only happen at the end of May at the earliestsome sort of microwave or radio link but that will only happen at the end of May at the earliest.
Problem 3 : I live in an area with poor cellphone reception. About 1 bar signal and 50% of calls drop before I can answer them.
Problem 4 : I live and work from home and the closest Internet access point (like an Internet Cafe) is 40km away.
Problem 5 : No iBurst coverage where I live.
Problem 6 : Cellphones are too darn expensive for voice and data calls!

So what can I do for cheap Internet access on par with ADSL?
I'd even go back to dialup speeds if there was a line.

There are people in the same area that had their lines stolen last November and they still haven't been replaced.

P.S. I'll only be able to read all the replies in about a weeks time when I get to someone with Internet access.

Maybe the "some sort of microwave or radio link but that will only happen at the end of May at the earliest" is the answer to your problem. See the latest news on the Telkom WiMAX service here.

[Paul_S]

Maybe the "some sort of microwave or radio link but that will only happen at the end of May at the earliest" is the answer to your problem. See the latest news on the Telkom WiMAX service here.

The fact that WiMax is only starting to trial now means it probably won't be rolled out before summer. Just look at how long it took for the ADSL trials to come to an end ...

I checked the MTN and Vodacoms coverage maps - it looks like the best I can get where I live is GPRS.
No 3G, Edge, HSDPA, etc.

Anyway that's not an option either - I'm self employed and don't pay myself enough to meet the requirements for a cellphone contract (even though I can afford ADSL). Nashua Mobile won't sign up anyone earning less than 3.5K per month.
Guess I'll have to wait for MTN or Vodacom to release a data offering for prepaid users like me.

One thing is for sure - I'm not going to pay for my Telkom line rentals past the date when the connection went down. What are they going to do?
Cut me off and blacklist me?
They can see me in court if they want to fight.

Maybe I'll "see" you forumites in a weeks time.

[ldmelsa]

Maybe try VSAT from Telkom?

[Paul_S]

Maybe try VSAT from Telkom?

Cheapest VSAT option :
SpaceStream Office (SSO) Option 1
SpaceStream Office - 1 year contract
Installation : R 2808.40
Monthly rental : R684.39

That's for 500MB combined (hard capped).

[ldmelsa]

Cheapest VSAT option :
SpaceStream Office (SSO) Option 1
SpaceStream Office - 1 year contract
Installation : R 2808.40
Monthly rental : R684.39

That's for 500MB combined (hard capped).

Oh!

[onlyme]

The telephone lines in the area I live in were stolen (again) on the 23 March.
I've been without a telephone line or Internet access for nearly a week now and it doesn't look like Telkom are going to replace them anytime soon.

I phoned a contact at Telkom and someone did some investigating for me.
Problem 1 : There is no spare cable at the store.
Problem 2 : Telkom are thinking of installing some sort of microwave or radio link but that will only happen at the end of May at the earliest.
Problem 3 : I live in an area with poor cellphone reception. About 1 bar signal and 50% of calls drop before I can answer them.
Problem 4 : I live and work from home and the closest Internet access point (like an Internet Cafe) is 40km away.
Problem 5 : No iBurst coverage where I live.
Problem 6 : Cellphones are too darn expensive for voice and data calls!

So what can I do for cheap Internet access on par with ADSL?
I'd even go back to dialup speeds if there was a line.

There are people in the same area that had their lines stolen last November and they still haven't been replaced.

P.S. I'll only be able to read all the replies in about a weeks time when I get to someone with Internet access.

OMG What's going to happen if there is a tsunami and they can't warn you!!

[bekdik]

I hope that Telkom are going to refund all your costs while you don't have access.

[teraside]

Please explain how your line could be stolen? I don't get it

[Jonny Two Shoes]

Please explain how your line could be stolen? I don't get it

The New South Africa enough said!

Hey btw check out for any other WISPs around your area..you might be lucky and find one operating thereabouts...some don't advertise.

Check out Sentech coverage as well although only if you are really desperate, I would strongly advise against them.

[Abe]

Problem 3 : I live in an area with poor cellphone reception. About 1 bar signal and 50% of calls drop before I can answer them.

You may be able to get some sort of booster arial for data. Almost like an external 3G card with arial. Voice I don't have any suggestions except for maybe Skype outgoing and cell incoming.

[Paul_S]

I got my problem sorted out but nearly didn't!

The cable theft in the Bapsfontein, Petit, Olifantsfontein is totally cronic - there are hardly any lines left. As fast as the lines are replaced they are stolen again in some cases the following night and usually within one week.
We're talking about dozens of kilometers of cable stolen every night.
This is organized crime - it's very well co-ordinated.

The cable is quite thick (about 50 or 60 wires) and is strung from the poles - the theft isn't any better if it's buried because then the thieves just hook up their vehicle and pull it out of the conduits.
The thieves come along at about 2-4AM, pull the lines down within reach, cut them off and load them on a vehicle to take away. They are very quick and because it's not a built up area and the houses are normally located far from the roads people don't know it's happening until they find out in the morning.

Fortunately I live on the street where the "connection box" from the exchange is located so after visiting a Telkom consultant I managed to get hold of the Telkom manager responsible for my area and explain the problem to him.
I told him that I'm even willing to buy the cable myself (~350m) and put it up if they can just send a technician to do the final hookup. I think that got the message through to him how desperate I was.
They have reconnected about 6 properties that are close to the "connection box" with very thin wire that the thieves probably won't bother stealing because they don't contain enough copper.
The wire used is 2 pair 0.5mm PCW Poly Ins which is manufactured by ATC in Brits.

The people that live further away (rest of the neighbourhood) are not so lucky - they will have to wait at least another 2 months before their systems are replaced with wireless telephone links. Telkom are not going to replace the cables in the area anymore.
I'm not sure of the specs of the wireless hardware but it's a box on a poll with an antenna, solar panel, battery, etc. and is capable of running an ADSL link through it.
The equipment costs in the region of R8000 and must be installed for each customer on their premises.
That should give you an idea of how much of a problem the cable theft is causing Telkom.

I felt really sorry for the technician - every 10 minutes a resident in the area driving past would stop and bug him about fixing their lines. I counted about 4 or 5 people stopping and bugging him and that was when he was within view in front of my property.

My appreciation to :
Marlie (ADSL department in Pretoria)
To the lady at the Telkom Direct Shop in Benoni (Lakeside Mall)
To Lazurus the technician
To the manager for my area (name withheld)

To the cellphone companies - please roll out 3G, Edge, HSDPA to outlying areas - we only have Telkom to chose from for Internet connections and if they fail we are screwed.

Now I need to go get a gun license and hook up a security system to the cable just in case ...

[Reg Solomon]

I can possibly help you with internet and phone line connectivity. Send me the street add and I will be able to check immidiately.

[gregmcc]

I can possibly help you with internet and phone line connectivity. Send me the street add and I will be able to check immidiately.

Dude - that thread is 5 years old! If he is still having problems I'm sure he would have slit his wrists by now!