Broadband Policy: DoC asks for your input

Economics 101... :rolleyes: They finally get it... :p
3.1.3 Reduce the cost to communicate
3.1.3.1 Increased competition is a mechanism to be used to drive down the cost of telecommunications prices. Better availability of broadband will increase competition in the market place, which will effectively bring down the cost to communicate. A reduction in telecommunication costs benefits every citizen, because more products and services become available at a more affordable price.

http://www.doc.gov.za/images/stories/notice broadband policy.pdf
Click to expand...
 
Happy with the DoC, least they are making an effort, and so glad someone is clashing a bit with ICASA.
 
Decided to register after lurking for years. I suppose now is as good a time as any. This was my email to Petrus. I'm not sure of the accuracy of my perspective or whether we can expect anything to come of this, but I had to give it a shot. My primary issue is with the cost-capping situation.

Mr Petrus Khoza,

As a Telkom broadband customer I find their available service options to be woefully inadequate. High entry-level broadband costs, ridiculously severe data capping and low bandwidth speeds are all factors hindering the development of an Internet information culture.

My wish is that you recognize and deal with this situation effectively so that all South Africans, whether rich or poor, have access to a basic broadband service.

I feel that it is imperative that I define what basic broadband should be in precise technical terms, since Telkom has before used technical loopholes in regulation to exploit consumers. For instance, a few years ago Telkom was required to utilize an uncapped data solution. To most people in the world this means unlimited, uncapped data at a flat monthly rate. To Telkom it meant a 1GB-5GB limit, with the option of purchasing additional data indefinitely at increments of 1GB. So in effect Telkom is charging the consumers a flat monthly rate plus anything over the initial limit. Thus the cost of broadband becomes exponential and unaffordable to the average citizen.

To put into perspective in the most simplest terms, an average broadband user anywhere in the world can spend 1GB a day on You Tube, watching movies, playing games, surfing the Internet, live video communication, purchasing and downloading movies, games and productivity software, sending media via email, conducting online business and services etc. With total monthly usage exceeding 30GB-100GB per user.
In South Africa we are limited to 1GB-5GB a month!
South Africans are severely handicapped, we can't and don't experience the Internet to it's fullest extent, due to exploitation.

My recommendation for Basic Broadband over landlines:

* A low flat monthly rate.
* 30GB of data per month at minimum.
* No distinction between international and local data bandwidth.
* 512K download speed and 256K upload speed at minimum.
* Unshaped traffic.

Every South African should be entitled to the above. That is true basic broadband.

My hope is that you will take the time to understand the situation and do your best to affect change for which we have been hoping. Also take care so that you are not undermined by Telkom.

Best wishes to your endeavor,
----------

I encourage you all to email Petrus with your own perspectives.
 
Hi Radium

Thanks for registering and posting the email. I agree that it is important to give clear values, both on speed and usage limits. Anything that is poorly defined will simply mean it is not implemented.
 
Radium said:
Decided to register after lurking for years. I suppose now is as good a time as any. This was my email to Petrus. I'm not sure of the accuracy of my perspective or whether we can expect anything to come of this, but I had to give it a shot. My primary issue is with the cost-capping situation.

Mr Petrus Khoza,

As a Telkom broadband customer I find their available service options to be woefully inadequate. High entry-level broadband costs, ridiculously severe data capping and low bandwidth speeds are all factors hindering the development of an Internet information culture.

My wish is that you recognize and deal with this situation effectively so that all South Africans, whether rich or poor, have access to a basic broadband service.

I feel that it is imperative that I define what basic broadband should be in precise technical terms, since Telkom has before used technical loopholes in regulation to exploit consumers. For instance, a few years ago Telkom was required to utilize an uncapped data solution. To most people in the world this means unlimited, uncapped data at a flat monthly rate. To Telkom it meant a 1GB-5GB limit, with the option of purchasing additional data indefinitely at increments of 1GB. So in effect Telkom is charging the consumers a flat monthly rate plus anything over the initial limit. Thus the cost of broadband becomes exponential and unaffordable to the average citizen.

To put into perspective in the most simplest terms, an average broadband user anywhere in the world can spend 1GB a day on You Tube, watching movies, playing games, surfing the Internet, live video communication, purchasing and downloading movies, games and productivity software, sending media via email, conducting online business and services etc. With total monthly usage exceeding 30GB-100GB per user.
In South Africa we are limited to 1GB-5GB a month!
South Africans are severely handicapped, we can't and don't experience the Internet to it's fullest extent, due to exploitation.

My recommendation for Basic Broadband over landlines:

* A low flat monthly rate.
* 30GB of data per month at minimum.
* No distinction between international and local data bandwidth.
* 512K download speed and 256K upload speed at minimum.
* Unshaped traffic.

Every South African should be entitled to the above. That is true basic broadband.

My hope is that you will take the time to understand the situation and do your best to affect change for which we have been hoping. Also take care so that you are not undermined by Telkom.

Best wishes to your endeavor,
----------

I encourage you all to email Petrus with your own perspectives.
Click to expand...
:eek:.stand an applause!
BRAVO!
 
Also, I have another issue - the fact that there is no clear, physical separation between Telkom and TelkomInternet.
 
rpm said:
Broadband Policy: Your input needed

The Department of Communications releases draft broadband policy to improve broadband access and affordability; asks public for comments

Broadband Policy Download
Click to expand...

firstly - this is the third draft policy doc from the department in 3 weeks + they have launched a very-good looking spectrum audit (http://www.ellipsis.co.za/south-african-radio-frequency-spectrum-audit/) ... while i have some major issues with the documents it is great to see the department finally doing something to fill the policy vacuum. i had a meeting there recently and there was definitely a buzz and a vibe.

the Minister is clearly not very happy with ICASA :)

@ Lightscribe: i don't read that as nixing LLU. If you state that you want to avoid duplication then LLU is the only way to deal with forcing sharing of the local loop (i.e. if you want to avoid other operators putting their own in)

@ Libs: this is a policy document which by definition is extremely vague so don't get your hopes up as regards specifics. As i understand it this will be followed by a national broadband strategy which will have a greater degree of specificity. Splitting of the network and service divisions of telkom (known as functional separation) as has been done in the UK and New Zealand, for example, is a fairly radical remedy not directly linked to broadband and which i would not anticipate seeing in these docs (although it is being spoken about in connection with other processes)

there is also a Draft National Spectrum Policy doc which they have released and which has some good stuff (http://www.ellipsis.co.za/draft-national-spectrum-policy/), as well as a Draft Local Content Policy, which is downright scary (http://www.ellipsis.co.za/draft-strategy-on-local-and-digital-content-development/)
 
hey dom

thanks for the input :)

This perks my hopes up that the Zuma [-]regime[/-]administration is doing the right thing... maybe Zapiro can let the hovering showerhead go up a notch or two if Zuma actually start doing something for the country unlike his predecessor...
 
Radium said:
Decided to register after lurking for years. I suppose now is as good a time as any. This was my email to Petrus. I'm not sure of the accuracy of my perspective or whether we can expect anything to come of this, but I had to give it a shot. My primary issue is with the cost-capping situation.

I encourage you all to email Petrus with your own perspectives.
Click to expand...

Hey Radium! That's great! Do you mind if we use your e-mail as a framework for ours? I would very much like to use it and add a few points of my own.

Thanks for posting this!
 
RPM, what about setting up a response on behalf of all myBB users?
even if we all send in the same email....mass action? :)
 
NOT BEING FORCED TO PAY R131 A MONTH FOR A PHONE LINE & ADSL "RENTAL" ON TOP OF THAT

:D I &heart; caps
 
Radium said:
Decided to register after lurking for years. I suppose now is as good a time as any. This was my email to Petrus. I'm not sure of the accuracy of my perspective or whether we can expect anything to come of this, but I had to give it a shot. My primary issue is with the cost-capping situation.

Mr Petrus Khoza,

As a Telkom broadband customer I find their available service options to be woefully inadequate. High entry-level broadband costs, ridiculously severe data capping and low bandwidth speeds are all factors hindering the development of an Internet information culture.

My wish is that you recognize and deal with this situation effectively so that all South Africans, whether rich or poor, have access to a basic broadband service.

I feel that it is imperative that I define what basic broadband should be in precise technical terms, since Telkom has before used technical loopholes in regulation to exploit consumers. For instance, a few years ago Telkom was required to utilize an uncapped data solution. To most people in the world this means unlimited, uncapped data at a flat monthly rate. To Telkom it meant a 1GB-5GB limit, with the option of purchasing additional data indefinitely at increments of 1GB. So in effect Telkom is charging the consumers a flat monthly rate plus anything over the initial limit. Thus the cost of broadband becomes exponential and unaffordable to the average citizen.

To put into perspective in the most simplest terms, an average broadband user anywhere in the world can spend 1GB a day on You Tube, watching movies, playing games, surfing the Internet, live video communication, purchasing and downloading movies, games and productivity software, sending media via email, conducting online business and services etc. With total monthly usage exceeding 30GB-100GB per user.
In South Africa we are limited to 1GB-5GB a month!
South Africans are severely handicapped, we can't and don't experience the Internet to it's fullest extent, due to exploitation.

My recommendation for Basic Broadband over landlines:

* A low flat monthly rate.
* 30GB of data per month at minimum.
* No distinction between international and local data bandwidth.
* 512K download speed and 256K upload speed at minimum.
* Unshaped traffic.

Every South African should be entitled to the above. That is true basic broadband.

My hope is that you will take the time to understand the situation and do your best to affect change for which we have been hoping. Also take care so that you are not undermined by Telkom.

Best wishes to your endeavor,
----------

I encourage you all to email Petrus with your own perspectives.
Click to expand...

Hi Radium

Great post :). In the policy they distinguish between basic broadband and commercial broadband. As i understand it the target market for basic broadband would be mainly rural users and people currently excluded from accessing any broadband service due to costs. I would agree with your features other than unshaped and 30GB which i think fall more within commercial broadband.
 
Ah Radium yours sounds better then mine

Mr. Petrus Khoza

I find this policy a very good idea, But I wish to add some thoughts:
First the main reason for broadband's high cost in South Africa is (1) Because of Telkom's stranglehold on the market, even now with the Seacom cable, Telkom still hold the ropes with ADSL line rental, which is outrageously high, (2) is the consortium of companies who own the SAT3 cable (which is still being used as our main internet portal) the companies are taking advantage of a lack of compition in the our market.
Second it costs nothing for SAIX/Telkom for the amount of internet usage (cap) the only thing that they buy is bandwidth (speed) so these "caps" are just money making scheme. In theory, everybody could have uncapped internet, therefore always available internet access.
And finally (ignoring the second point) SA's local internet is growing slowly but surly, but shouldn't access to local internet be free? This would lead to company increasing hosting internet technologies within our country, therefore leading to employment and a boost to our economy.

Thank you for your time.
Yours Faithfully
 
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