Differential ADSL prices on the cards?

[emmanuel]

Local is supposed to be free as soon as they're able to differentiate!!

Currently local is added as if international.

 

[MrSmith]

Good bye IS local only account.

 

[Ekhaatvensters]

Ja, it would make sense to do this, more money from SAIX and hosting?

Anyway, I wouldn't mind. :/

Did they actually differentiate a few years ago, from what I remember you had local uncapped after you used up your cap, or was it really completely seperate?

 

[fskmh]

So now the monthly ADSL line rental fee will actually pay for something real and not just a subsidy for Telscum to update POTS circuits with ADSL2+ enabled ones?

If not, they have to choose, either a R112 line rental for POTS OR R155 for ADSL enabled line, not BOTH (hint hint ICASA). IMO the price is still too high, even with that, but lets see what they come up with.

 

[Tns]

ok so if they finally do this (right) my 130 a month will fall to just about nothing? well lets all hope this happens then

 

[sabagamma]

Ok, so who differentiates on WebAfrica SAIX local only? Winnie Mandela?

 

[gripen]

i really like the idea of free local on vodacom/mtn 3G. why not, if adsl must do it then so must vodacom. best broadband for your rand and so on. if they want to compete in the same space, they must come to the party. Wont be too many Gigs for them given the rubbish speeds you will get. Remind me WHY it is the best broadband for your rand?

 

[AirWolf]

Our wonderful regulator actually said "local bandwidth usage shall not be subject to the cap."

EDIT - I see ld13 beat me to the punch.

Does it mean local is free after you hit your international cap?

 

[ToxicBunny]

Nope....

There isn't any mention of free.... so expect telkom to find a way to make money off it still.

 

[Tux]

So basically it all boils down to telkom getting to screw you over even more. The difference being they're doing it from inside the icasa set of rules this time round. Or am I missing something?

 

[ToxicBunny]

Don't think you're missing anything Gru.
Telkom till find a way to screw us over, inside or outside the rules....

Vaseline anyone?

 

[gripen]

So basically it all boils down to telkom getting to screw you over even more. The difference being they're doing it from inside the icasa set of rules this time round. Or am I missing something?

you are correct yes. For what you get today you *should* pay the same on the new system except now you will have the option to add local usage as as add on to your account. Or alternatively, pay for what you use - postpaid.

the confusion comes in with free. essentially, there is very little spend difference for a consumer. its about convenience. once can already run an international account (at a cheaper rate than a pure international account I must add, as Telkom works out the cost with a portion local in there account). with a cheap local account. *if* telkom manages to get it working, all you would have ideally, is 2 seperate counters. Though, if you look at the situation CORRECTLY then international usage will cost a lot more.. something like R275/GB.

I can explain the calculation if anyone is interested..

So in the end, one must decide - would you be happy with the "old" system (international cap, then "uncapped" local at a charge.. I know I know there was no charge before) OR more expensive international but differentiated accounting. Thing is to remember, if local does not count to the cap - and you want a 3GB cap pure international - you will end up paying R275 * 3 for the international portion.....

blame ICASA for not stating a cost based price cap on local bandwidth (free is probably unfair, I mean it does cost *something* to provide)

 

[LifelongGamer]

Knowing Telkom, it would probably end up as follows:

International is differentiated from local (they know how – they always have but now it becomes ‘cost effective’ for them to do so).

Choice: remain with standard package of combined international + local (theoretically no change in cost until EASSy et al are operational) OR local-only account (with option of reduced cost-bundles + higher usage limits which fits into the Telkom-Media plan to provide IPTV, VOD etc.) OR separate Local + International where local portion provides higher usage bundles at reduced rates and international portion remains at current prices per GBps (just with local removed).

The latter two options will provide Telkom with additional revenue streams for IPTV / Microsoft Xbox Live services we’ve heard is currently being trialed – while maintaining current profits for international access for consumers not using local content (majority of MMO gamers, superior international media / news content, and so forth).

This also fits perfectly into Telkom’s twisted logic. They will abide by the ADSL regulations in that they will in future provide an uncapped local bandwidth service – consumers simply get charged the more they use at lower rates than international but at the end of the day it is the consumer’s choice whether to use this service or not.

Exactly the same rationale Telkom is using now for shaped vs unshaped bandwidth. The fact that Telkom’s service levels are degrading to the point where latency on unshaped is slowing down to near shaped levels (at least over the last month or so) doesn’t alter the fact that Telkom still charges much more for an unshaped service either directly or through their resellers.

 

[AirWolf]

The bottom line in effect is that another "price re-balancing" is on the cards

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Bandwidth Apartheid coming soon...

 

[ld13]

Bandwidth Apartheid coming soon...

Apartheid == Bad

iow Bandwidth Apartheid == more bad

Thats not right, it supposed to be good!

 

[antowan]

Don't think you're missing anything Gru.
Telkom till find a way to screw us over, inside or outside the rules....

Vaseline anyone?

I actually have a tub that Neology graciously handed out at the MyADSL conference last year.

 

[Gatecrasher]

You do realise that if Telkom claim that a large portion of current SAIX bandwidth is used locally, differentiation would certainly increase their cost of providing international bandwidth.

Can we then expect the international portion to be more expensive than current offerings?