break the law!!

[jamieb]

Hi everyone

Clearly, our government cannot serve the interests of the public and business at large with its draconian laws that serve the pockets of the few.

I suggest that we initiate a campaign to render all restrictive laws regulating telecoms null and void. How do we do this? We draft a new set of regulations, formed by consensus and simply encourage all industry players to break the law. If there is mass protest, there is little that the government could do about it.

 

[JStrike]

The government is already changing the law. It is a very intricate process. Your proposal will not speed this up. Just wait. Things are happening at a very fast pace (At least in terms of Legislations, etc)

 

[jamieb]

wait...?

Did you perhaps notice the recent ADSL price increases? After ten years, we are STILL in a situation where ONE company is holding up the entire nation. I am not sure about you guys, but I run a business that is heavily reliant on a fast internet connection. The government has been choking my business for too long now.

 

[JStrike]

jamieb : It has only been recently (Last 2 years, and the last 10 months in particular) that this has been prioritised. It will all come together soon

 

[ettubrute]

JStrike, you speaking for the government? If not, I agree with jamieb! Government (especially our current one!) works at less than a snail's pace...

 

[stoke]

/me has tendancy to lean heavily towards what jamieb is saying.

I've had a look at the proposals and there is ZERO actual change for the ISP, nor the international bandwidth problem.

Maybee a vote of no confidence in a democratic country is the only way to invoke real change.

The way things are going now, it's nothing but political yaysaying and feet shuffling.

I say - lets start to draw up the new regulations and if it's good - implement it.

 

[JStrike]

ettubrute : No but it really is fast as far as these things go

 

[ettubrute]

Actually, what is the law in SA with regard to referendums? Can we, as the public, start one? Then we could implement stoke's idea of a vote of no confidence!

 

[JStrike]

If you want change to come along, then get everyone (or at least 50%) that is a Telkom client to change when the SNO comes along. Telkom will drop prices so fast it wont even be funny. If at least 50% doesn't change, well then, the people have spoken, and Telkom are justified in their positioning

 

[ettubrute]

The SNO? You still believe it will actually happen? And be available to the public in general? Shucks! You're a real optimist!

 

[JStrike]

ettubrute : It will be here soonish. It wont be available to the general public at the begining, but it will be available to ISP's and businesses. The same applies...

 

[ettubrute]

Exactly the problem! If the SNO targets ISP's and business only, we, as small entrepreneurs, are still stuck with teklom! Shucks man, as a one-man company I can't justify the cost of the cheapest ADSL yet! You think the SNO will make any difference in this???? No! And till the stupid government a$$holes unregulate the whole market, we will carry on suffering!

And soonish it not soon enough! Should have been done ages ago! I still stand firmly in the belief that as soon as government and political parties are forbidden to have shares in companies, everything will be sorted out in a matter of weeks, instead of the current months and years!

PS. This rant is not directed at you personally, but at the idea you posted!

 

[JStrike]

ettu : Unfortunatly some fall through the cracks and it seems you will be one of them. But the rest of us that can switch over will decide whether Telkom lowers its prices or is vindicated. Convince your friends that have the power to do so. If every single person registered at MyADSL changes, it wouldn't bother telkom that much, but if we convince very person we can possible can...well then maybe

 

[morebroadband]

Your proposal will not speed this up. Just wait. Things are happening at a very fast pace (At least in terms of Legislations, etc)

No but it really is fast as far as these things go
11-10-2005 01:34 PM

JSTRIKE,
Your comments cannot go unanswered. It is exactly this kind of apathy that has pushed SA into the dark ages when it comes to broadband, lower telecommunication prices & lack of internet access! Voices like yours calling for calm, and patience are mind boggling when one reads the statistics about how SA has fallen to some of the lowest rankings in the world for PC penetration, access to broadband.

Why do you think MYADSL is so popular? It is because the average man in the street, who knows anything about the potential of the internet and what access to information can do for the impoverished and unemployed, is totally pissed of at the snails pace at which this so called bloody reform is happening.

One only needs to study some of the other countries, whose ministers and interested parties had the BALLS to do something about it. Take India for example, where the average person earns less than a SA, but this country has revolutionised their Telecoms environment, and they are the leaders in CALL Centers!

I cannot agree more with Jamieb. We need some serious action, not being told to be patient!! Nothing personal, but take your head out of your arse, and smell the roses!

 

[morebroadband]

To prove my point:

Dr. Tim Kelly, from the International Telecommunications Union, reported that out of 39 countries measured on cost of broadband services South Africa was 38th, only Russia was more expensive.

“It is not Telkom’s fault. Telkom had no incentives to perform better,” stated Kelly.

http://www.mybroadband.co.za/nephp/?m=show&id=919

Where ever you look it is so easy to find the apathy!

 

[Alkazar]

Any law is supposed to reflect the will of the people and the government which promulgates and enforces that law is also supposed to represent the will of the people.

The people can change the government by joining together and voting for a new government. The present government cannot continue without the people supporting it.

The same applies to any law of the land. It can only continue to remain in force and be enforced for as long as the people support it.

The only way the people can demonstrate that they do not support a law is to break that law!

If the majority of people break a particular law that law effectively becomes null and void and can no longer be enforced.

This is a legitimate way for the people to bring about a change in the law.

If all parties involved, such as ISP's, VANS, SMME's, corporations, and individuals, band together and ignore the existing telecoms laws (i.e. break the law), the government will be forced to change the laws as the existing laws will no longer be enforcable.

So come on everybody, vote with your actions - BREAK THE LAW!