It's like a game of chess with Telkom - they constantly want to keep the initiative. In normal business this is understandable and acceptable, however when they use their monopolistic power to keep the initiative it is very unfair.
Telkom stalled on ADSL (which is comparitively easy to roll out) in order to squeeze the last drops out of ISDN (which is inefficient and cumbersome in comparison to ADSL). Now they seem to be stalling on wireless in order to squeeze the most out of ADSL.
There are a couple of companies offering wireless, but is a very grey area legally. So every now and then Telkom complains to whoever the watchdog is (ICASA?) and a hilltop or tall building is raided and equipment confiscated. The more savvy companies have inside info and tend to stay a step ahead of Telkom but the question is why should they have to.
Here's the thing, back in 2000 the company I worked for had a DSL link between its two offices (about 500m apart) and obviously we though this was the greatest thing since sliced bread and wanted to get into that market - how naive... About the only opening there is with Telkom is some rule that states that if they are unable/unwilling to offer a certain service, then the may not prevent you from offering that service. The rule is simple, but the process not - it would probably take multiple trips to court or the Competition Board and a few years to get it right and in the meantime Telkom probably would start offering the service. Hence we have these companies bypassing all the schlep and just doing it.
The sad part is that wireless internet is just what Africa needs - we need to leapfrog the old technology, forget about laying copper where there is none and go wireless. Look at the cellphone investment in Congo - they have a large potential market but a tiny fixed line infrastructure - much more sense for the MTN and Vodacom to enter the market than for Telkom. Similar scenario for wireless.
But here we are waiting for Telkom.... We might as well be in the old USSR.
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