Brakpan FTTH - 123Net

[Alkine]

Here's the problem, at R199 plus installation for 20GB I might as well stay on mobile. And that's the reasoning for most people. These providers including Vumatel still has a long way to go in learning how to make fibre worthwhile.

For R200 p/m one can get 5 GB of daytime data and 15 GB of night time from Cell C (I'm not sure what the other guys are offering). For that same price one can then get 20 GB anytime data on fibre (most people on mobile don't use their night time data very effectively). On top of that one then moves from wireless to a fixed line with consistent, reliable, and fast performance. I know of many people in my area that would like to do this because they are frustrated with wireless.

I think this is a great strategy, moving people over to your network, and for less than double one can then get ten times more data. How they make money from this I dont know. Vuma uses AON which is more expensive than GPON, and the GPON guys ask abour R300 per port. At least in this way they get R200 from that port where they potentially would have received nothing.

Unfortunately it has to be worthwhile for both the fibre provider and the customer for it to work in the long run. If it is only worthwhile for the one, the other will not come to the party, and then there will be no party .

 

[SilverNodashi]

That's exactly the problem. They're selling a Ferrari but giving you a BMW instead. There's no reason to pay the inflated price when a Ford will do for most.

ok, let's forget about the cars cause you keep on skewing the sample.

3G has higher latency.
3G towers are way too overcrowded.
3G doesn't always work so well in bad weather.
3G traffic is very expensive.

In all of the above instances, Fiber is much better.

the fact that it has limited bandwidth for the price isn't quite the same as why you would want to stick with 3G. At home, I have been contemplating about going back to 3G simply because we cannot get more than 2Mbs ADSL. The exchanges in the area are too old to get something better. The 3G solution we had was a bit faster, if you can live with the higher latency - which in some cases are not acceptable. But then again on the ADSL side, though it's almost double the price (we used to have that 8ta 20GB deal @ R399/pm) we now have unlimited bandwidth. The wive and kids can watch as many shows online as they want.

I'm sure Fibre options will get cheaper in the future and perhaps we could have "uncapped" options at a reasonable price as well. But unless it's installed and used, and user patterns and needs analyzed in real time, it the prices won't change much. Right now it's still a luxury for most. Let's work together to get it mainstream and it will change.

 

[Swa]

For R200 p/m one can get 5 GB of daytime data and 15 GB of night time from Cell C (I'm not sure what the other guys are offering). For that same price one can then get 20 GB anytime data on fibre (most people on mobile don't use their night time data very effectively). On top of that one then moves from wireless to a fixed line with consistent, reliable, and fast performance. I know of many people in my area that would like to do this because they are frustrated with wireless.

That's R150 per month. For about the same amount my brother gets 12GB from Neotel. Everybody has what suits them and if you don't give them incentives they won't move over. He doesn't even see the point of fibre and didn't even give his address when I showed him.

ok, let's forget about the cars cause you keep on skewing the sample.

3G has higher latency.
3G towers are way too overcrowded.
3G doesn't always work so well in bad weather.
3G traffic is very expensive.

In all of the above instances, Fiber is much better.

the fact that it has limited bandwidth for the price isn't quite the same as why you would want to stick with 3G. At home, I have been contemplating about going back to 3G simply because we cannot get more than 2Mbs ADSL. The exchanges in the area are too old to get something better. The 3G solution we had was a bit faster, if you can live with the higher latency - which in some cases are not acceptable. But then again on the ADSL side, though it's almost double the price (we used to have that 8ta 20GB deal @ R399/pm) we now have unlimited bandwidth. The wive and kids can watch as many shows online as they want.

I'm sure Fibre options will get cheaper in the future and perhaps we could have "uncapped" options at a reasonable price as well. But unless it's installed and used, and user patterns and needs analyzed in real time, it the prices won't change much. Right now it's still a luxury for most. Let's work together to get it mainstream and it will change.

Point number 4 above is even more expensive if you're a low usage user. There's just no point in moving over to fibre if you pay R200 plus installation for less than 20GB. Fibre providers need to come on board and give people incentives starting with moving away from a culture of low caps and letting people use data effectively.

 

[loose cannon]

HI

running LTE service in Dalpark 5. got the following result :http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4785020083

this is without an external antenna. there are 3 sites in this area with an unlimited deal, (the deal does specify 50 gig FUP on peer to peer). here's the link :http://www.telkom.co.za/today/unlimited-broadband/.

if you want you can ask the guys to come out and demo the service. Alternatively they have 50 gig packages (inclusive of all data usage) also @ R699. there are other packages available.

 

[Swa]

It's the R699 that's concerning to me. Also only available to 450 people with the price increasing R100 for every 150.

 

[Swa]

We're 20% there. 240 to go.

 

[PostManPat]

We're 20% there. 240 to go.

Still don't understand why you are doing all the media for a company that is going to spit in your face at the end of this. Rather get Greencom or Vuma involved.

 

[Swa]

The sad fact that many don't understand is that if we give up we give up on fibre. That's why I'm hoping they come up with a satisfactory solution. It's just the lack of communication of what's really going on that gets me frustrated.

.

 

[DERoestorf]

.

So there are no other fibre providers other than 123Net?

 

[Swa]

So there are no other fibre providers other than 123Net?

Give the requirements.

 

[pinball wizard]

We're 20% there. 240 to go.

My old man signed up, but he's gone with Telkom LTE-A.

 

[DERoestorf]

Give the requirements.

There are different routes. But lets start off. Get a survey going on in Brakpan. See how many people are interested. Given the current count on 123Net, only 60 people have shown interest. That is not enough for any fibre provider. Especially if you take the size of brakpan. So get more people involved. I believe there are about 10k houses in Brakpan (estimate) so maybe try to break it up into different areas. This will make it easier to focus on the area. If you can get lets say 2800 houses for the entire Brakpan, it might be worth it.

Get some town hall meetings set up.

Request an RFP from the different fibre providers. There are about 12 you can contact. They will tell you what they need to bring fibre to your area. Some of them will work with you to get this done, other will leave you to do all the work. Make sure if there is any major fibre lines running through Brakpan.

From there, you have a goal, you can work towards it.

The reason why it is working well in JHB, is that all the communities that are getting fibre, have got community associations, who have got a database of people to contact, and works with the fibre provider to get the message out. It becomes a partnership, where both gets the benefits of success.

 

[Swa]

2800 houses? You think that's a realistic target?

 

[DERoestorf]

2800 houses? You think that's a realistic target?

think about how big Brakpan is.

I live in Blairgowrie. we are about 13 Square Km of space (this is an exageration). Have about 3800 homes in total in that space. We showed we had the interest. To install Fibre in our area, using trenching, is about R30mil to R60mil. That is without all the other equipment involved. We had to have about 1100 houses show interest to get fibre. We were able to do it.

Now lets take Brakpan. What is the estimated size? From there, you can work out the cost, and then work out the nr of houses needed.

Sorry to say, but you will run into the same problem as Secunda with 123Net. 300 houses showing interest, will not be enough, so they will ask for sign ups. Then you get the sign ups done, and then that is only for one portion, you need more signups for more portions to be added, and so on and so forth.

 

[Swa]

think about how big Brakpan is.

I live in Blairgowrie. we are about 13 Square Km of space (this is an exageration). Have about 3800 homes in total in that space. We showed we had the interest. To install Fibre in our area, using trenching, is about R30mil to R60mil. That is without all the other equipment involved. We had to have about 1100 houses show interest to get fibre. We were able to do it.

Now lets take Brakpan. What is the estimated size? From there, you can work out the cost, and then work out the nr of houses needed.

Sorry to say, but you will run into the same problem as Secunda with 123Net. 300 houses showing interest, will not be enough, so they will ask for sign ups. Then you get the sign ups done, and then that is only for one portion, you need more signups for more portions to be added, and so on and so forth.

And what makes you think the same problems or worse won't crop up with other providers? What you don't understand is that each area is different. What works for one community doesn't and won't work for another. It's easy to give advice from your perspective when you are in an area that can pay upwards of R500 for internet and are interested. Not so easy to actually walk the walk when you are in a middle or low income area that's largely not even interested in internet.

So far 123Net is the only provider that's even interested in looking to such communities and by far has the least restrictive conditions and best prospective service offerings. If Secunda can't get 500 contracts they stand no chance of ever getting fibre unless someone just comes and rolls it out. If they can't manage it we don't even stand a chance and are truly ****ed. You really need to start seeing other people's perspectives and take them into account.

 

[DERoestorf]

And what makes you think the same problems or worse won't crop up with other providers? What you don't understand is that each area is different. What works for one community doesn't and won't work for another. It's easy to give advice from your perspective when you are in an area that can pay upwards of R500 for internet and are interested. Not so easy to actually walk the walk when you are in a middle or low income area that's largely not even interested in internet.

So far 123Net is the only provider that's even interested in looking to such communities and by far has the least restrictive conditions and best prospective service offerings. If Secunda can't get 500 contracts they stand no chance of ever getting fibre unless someone just comes and rolls it out. If they can't manage it we don't even stand a chance and are truly ****ed. You really need to start seeing other people's perspectives and take them into account.

123Net has so far only done lip service. They have not installed it anywhere, and are changing their tune so often it is not even funny.

Try approaching other providers before saying it is hopeless. You will never know if you don't try.

Most of Blairgowrie was only willing to pay up to R500 for Fibre. Yet we are getting fibre. The interest is what is needed

 

[PostManPat]

123Net has so far only done lip service. They have not installed it anywhere, and are changing their tune so often it is not even funny.

Try approaching other providers before saying it is hopeless. You will never know if you don't try.

Most of Blairgowrie was only willing to pay up to R500 for Fibre. Yet we are getting fibre. The interest is what is needed

There seems to be a massive hive mind going around with 123net fan boys. I doubt they will ever consider another fibre operator.

 

[Swa]

123Net has so far only done lip service. They have not installed it anywhere,

That's it I'm not going to entertain trolls any longer.

There seems to be a massive hive mind going around with Vuma fan boys. I doubt they will ever consider another fibre operator.

ftfy

 

[DERoestorf]

That's it I'm not going to entertain trolls any longer.


ftfy

sorry that the truth hurts. but I am also sorry that you are not willing to at least try more than one provider. Locking yourself in will only hurt you in the future.

Good luck with your quest for fibre

 

[Swa]

sorry that the truth hurts. but I am also sorry that you are not willing to at least try more than one provider. Locking yourself in will only hurt you in the future.

Good luck with your quest for fibre

You're not listening to truth. Here's some news for you, you're locking yourself in no matter which provider you go with.