Beyond the SEACOM hype

[rpm]

Beyond the SEACOM hype

Will SEACOM’s launch really mean that you will now ‘enjoy true broadband’

 

[daffy]

Well, certainly not 1.28Terabytes/s
1.28Terabits...

 

[Messugga]

So in other words, now they're saying nothing will change?
Can't say I didn't expect this. What they actually mean is "Now we have different ways of making more money out of you silly sods. Go us!"

 

[therock]

what are south africans suppose to do .if i take to the streets to demonstrate and demand lower internet prices then im township trash .but if i dont i get raped with R389 for 2gig on 3g.comrades what to do?realistic options?

 

[therock]

maybe we can go take the internet from the shop(early morning humour excuse me im high on coffee):/

 

[alt21]

“The SEACOM cable will change the lives of every man, woman and child in the countries connected by making previously unavailable technology accessible to everyone. We truly look forward to the positive utilisation of the cable and the realisation of infinite social and economic possibilities unleashed by our arrival,” said SEACOM’s Chairman, Mr Nizar Juma.

o, ok, well as long as that happens its all good

Sigh :-/ We already have access to all of the internet and how is it gonna make the lives of ppl living in informal settlements any better? They should have rather skipped the "lives of every man, woman and child"

 

[Globetrotter]

Price reductions in the ADSL ISP market have already started, and this is likely to continue as service providers get their hands on more affordable international bandwidth.

Telkom's IP Connect fee is a killer. Some ISPs current contracts on Telkom's SAT-3 cable have to expire first before these ISPs can fully utilise the advantages of cheaper broadband by signing up solely for access on SEACOM:

When we will see dramatically cheaper broadband

However, the arrival of Seacom will not suddenly herald cheap or affordable internet access, according to Wayne de Nobrega, CEO of Altech's recently acquired ISP business Technology Concept.

De Nobrega uses ADSL access as an example: "Your DSL connects into a Telkom exchange, and that goes through a Telkom backbone."

"Now, as a service provider, let's say I've got a Seacom connection coming into my data centre and I need to take you and bring you into my data centre... I've got to have an IP Connect between Telkom and myself," he says.

"That IP Connect will cost me R390 000 for a 140Mbps line."

"That cost is probably more than what I'm paying for that capacity on the Seacom cable," he says matter-of-factly.

De Nobrega stresses the importance of these other components when considering bandwidth pricing.

"If I'm on a contract on the SAT-3 cable and let's say the price (for argument's sake) is R100, and the price on Seacom is R10. I might have 70% of my bandwidth going through on the SAT-3 because I'm contractually bound to it still and I've got 30% going through at R10," he describes.

"Well, the average price is going to be closer to, say, about R70."

But (and this is a big "but"), over time, we are "going to see that pricing [on SAT-3] coming down as the contracts change," says De Nobrega.

"Telkom will address this pricing issue, they have to. Otherwise, when the contracts come up for renewal, they're going to end up with a cable doing nothing," he laughs.

 

[Creag]

Why do get the feeling that despite the exciting prospects of SEACOM, Telkom are going to find a why to cash in and kill any opportunity to make a difference?

 

[Lazy]

So in reality the 1.28 Terabits is a theoretical limit, achievable after upgrading this system or does this mean they have not 'lit' the entire cable as yet?

 

[GuileX]

yawn

 

[chubster]

When will Vodacom/Mtn/Virgin/Cell C push down their mobile broadband prices?

 

[Pilgrim]

So in reality the 1.28 Terabits is a theoretical limit, achievable after upgrading this system or does this mean they have not 'lit' the entire cable as yet?

They have not "lit" the entire cable yet. If I understand it correctly there is enough fiber in the cable to support 1.28tbps using todays technology. But, they dont have routers on all the fiber lines yet. Would not make sense to buy 16 routers now when just 1 will do. (1280/80 = 16, so I assume one router can do 80gbps)

Later, when that 80gbps is reaching its limit they can buy another router and double the capacity. This they can repeat until they finally have 1.28tbps.

But you ask a good question, who knows what progress will be made with fiber communications, maybe one day the Seacom cable will carry 10tbps

 

[foX2delta]

Yeah yesterday morning i read, seacom is here, and boy was i excited, but today you ask? We'll i'm pretty down after this article.
Do you know what we should do. Move to a house outside the landing station, run a cable to seacom and bang super fast internet - best idea me 2009

 

[LazyLion]

despite the negativity of these articles there have already been several positive developments in the form of price moves, and I believe there will be many more to come. Telkom has also upgraded the SAT-3 cable and that in itself is a positive development. I remain optimistic that we are going to see lots more exciting things before the year end.

 

[Shred]

When will Vodacom/Mtn/Virgin/Cell C push down their mobile broadband prices?

I wish I knew

 

[Ryansta]

I wonder if seacom was bought out or something from the beginning all there was, was talk of things being cheaper. Now its a case of well its in but no difference will be made. What was the point? I can see how the bandwidth cant change things something must've happened SA is a lost cause

 

[pkid]

When will Vodacom/Mtn/Virgin/Cell C push down their mobile broadband prices?

+1

I hope Vodacom drop their prices...

 

[kaaskop]

....censored.....censored.....censored.....censored.....censored.....
is all i'am saying.

 

[killadoob]

despite the negativity of these articles there have already been several positive developments in the form of price moves, and I believe there will be many more to come. Telkom has also upgraded the SAT-3 cable and that in itself is a positive development. I remain optimistic that we are going to see lots more exciting things before the year end.

When you come out of dreamland let us know

They can upgrade all they want but prices won't tumble, we have four cell operators and still have very high cell phone prices, why on earth would seacom give us cheap broadband?

This is not a country that sees cheap anything and it never will be(this is not negative it is a realistic view on SA). If you want cheap fast internet move to a different country.

 

[Quest10n]

despite the negativity of these articles there have already been several positive developments in the form of price moves, and I believe there will be many more to come. Telkom has also upgraded the SAT-3 cable and that in itself is a positive development. I remain optimistic that we are going to see lots more exciting things before the year end.

What according to Garyvdh is positive development/exciting things. Can you please look into your "Crystal Ball or Skull" and tell the Folks here on MyBB?