Starlink will disrupt mobile and fibre operators in South Africa — Vodacom veteran

[Luis]

Former Vodacom heavyweight has a message about Starlink in South Africa

Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology like Starlink is going to disrupt incumbent networks around the world, including mobile and fibre operators in South Africa.

That is the view of industry veteran Jannie van Zyl, who spent 13 years at Vodacom, helped spearhead its 3G and 4G rollout, and later led its innovation division.

 

[warwickw]

I wish government and specifically ICASA would start thinking with some common sense and stop trying to regulate the crap out of everything.

Ride the tide

 

[Mike Angelo]

So, expensive data good, cheap data bad...

 

[Hemi300c]

Disrupt you ripping people off yes.

 

[Neuk_]

 

[rustypup]

Disrupt you ripping people off yes.

Not forgetting that Vodacom et al are demanding that social media brands cough up extra moola for "reasons"

 

[ToxicBunny]

I think the incumbents need some real disruption in their lives to be honest.

 

[Rickster]

 

[BouncyNinja]

For me, in a business case, it would never replace fibre , but rather a backup solution

 

[Tantus]

I wish government and specificall ICASA would start thinking with some common sense and stop trying to regulate the crap out of everything.

Ride the tide

Government, ICASA and thinking on one sentence?
This March and March Day is teaching me a lot!!

 

[Tantus]

For me, in a business case, it would never replace fibre , but rather a backup solution

There's no cell reception at Bitterpan. Fibre? You must be kidding me!

 

[Tantus]

Mobile networks disrupted Telkom.
What comes around goes around!

 

[BouncyNinja]

There's no cell reception at Bitterpan. Fibre? You must be kidding me!

Anderbolt Boksburg, Link Africa Fibre sketchy , its down every other day, only Viable Cell Reception to keep a company running.. MTN, not uncapped though, trying to keep things contract free as much as possible

 

[JerryMungo]

With all the billions Vodacom and MTN have made over the years, you'd think they'd be putting their own birds in the air and making dosh....

"Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology like Starlink is going to disrupt incumbent networks around the world, including mobile and fibre operators in South Africa." - ANC: Hold my beer.

 

[JerryMungo]

South Africa's broadband future is being decided in orbit, not in Pretoria

Telkom once mistook dominance for permanence and lost to mobile; the mobile operators now face the same test.

techcentral.co.za

Government aren't going to be able to protect mobile operators indefinitely.
Ironicallly I live in Vodacom coverage but it's down so often I can't wait to ditch them. They could easily have kept me as a client.

 

[WollieVerstege]

Well, Vodacom disrupted Telkom's fixed line operations - so kry vir julle

 

[neoprema]

I can’t see it disrupting fiber. People will use it for backup and for traveling. So yes it might disrupt the rubbish signal you get in the middle o nowhere.

It will also bring connectivity to communities and people stuck on expensive and non functional mobile data in the sticks. But that goes against their concept of “fleece first, supply later”

 

[Bad Ballie]

Suspect most of the opposition to Starlink is in fact from companies themselves, who can already see they are a dying breed that have priced themselves out of the market. Easier to pay the government to prevent Starlinks entry than to accept they are headed for their own Kodak moment no matter what they do.

 

[garyc]

It seems that the biggest challenge was not developing a new class of space rocket and launching over 10k of satellites, but rather overcoming government corruption.

 

[ghaye]

With all the billions Vodacom and MTN have made over the years, you'd think they'd be putting their own birds in the air and making dosh....

"Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology like Starlink is going to disrupt incumbent networks around the world, including mobile and fibre operators in South Africa." - ANC: Hold my beer.

What did they say (or do) about digital TV vs analog TV?