Government to force local loop unbundling

[mystic]

I think the "hurry up and wait" that typifies the SA telecom scene, is getting to some of us, me included. Meanwhile the weeks and months rush by and still we have to deal with the evil empire.

Wrt LLU, unless they spell out if it includes VANs as mentioned in earlier posts, it is completely academic. Maybe someone should contact the DOC and get some clarification from them. Although I'm not too optimistic about getting straight answers.

Today's Business Day has a small piece on the USAL licensees. After all the hype and delays, the largest USAL has only signed 750 customers! USAL licenses is just another idiotic attempt of the DOC to do "managed liberalisation". Only real competition will fix the telecoms landscape:

1. Self-provisioning for VANS
2. LLU allowing VANS & other licensed telecom operators (SNO, MTN, Sentech etc) to co-locate DSLAMs
3. Regulated wholesale access to SAT3/SAFE or opening up of landing points to other operators

 

[doobiwan]

I agree, Telkom doesn't just have us by the balls they've got us by the:

Throat - SAT3
Balls - Fibre infrastructure
& Ankles - Local loop

 

[arf9999]

The real question is .... unbundled for who to access. Is it just for PSTN license holders like the SNO or also for VANs?

If its just for the SNO then the goverment is just stating the obvious ... there would be no business case for the SNO without access to last mile copper.

In current license conditions SNO has no access to telkom's last mile infrastructure AFAIK. So LLU would allow SNO to compete more aggressively...

 

[vrapt0r]

God if we get another person complaining about the hoplessness of the situation, i swear that im going to kill someone. If you think that nothing will ever change then why did you join the fight.

Let me tell you something: There is always hope

 

[Antonio]

Of course things will change, by the time we get some decent broadband here, I'll probably be in my late 90s

 

[antowan]

Couple of loose thoughts:

"The government plans to force Telkom to charge affordable prices for lines running into homes and offices to make it easier for other operators to compete with the former fixed-line monopoly."

Doesn't make sense. The higher Telkom's prices are the easier it would be for a competitor to compete. Perhaps they are refering to Telkoms interconnection charges... or infrastructure rental charges?

Telkom should not have control of the local loop at all and money (whatever it might be) used to access it should not go to Telkom.

The best way to ensure competition is to open the market completely. Until then Telkom and kin have to be regulated sinsibly.

 

[krycor]

hrm i thought the law said only after x yrs of sno will there be unbundling... so how much are we paying for unbundling the ankle ? oh wait and theres the convergence bill that will fix everything.. im sceptical.

 

[dominic]

I think the "hurry up and wait" that typifies the SA telecom scene, is getting to some of us, me included. Meanwhile the weeks and months rush by and still we have to deal with the evil empire.

Wrt LLU, unless they spell out if it includes VANs as mentioned in earlier posts, it is completely academic. Maybe someone should contact the DOC and get some clarification from them. Although I'm not too optimistic about getting straight answers.

Today's Business Day has a small piece on the USAL licensees. After all the hype and delays, the largest USAL has only signed 750 customers! USAL licenses is just another idiotic attempt of the DOC to do "managed liberalisation". Only real competition will fix the telecoms landscape:

1. Self-provisioning for VANS
2. LLU allowing VANS & other licensed telecom operators (SNO, MTN, Sentech etc) to co-locate DSLAMs
3. Regulated wholesale access to SAT3/SAFE or opening up of landing points to other operators

agreed and we have been talking about these things for way too long

the delays in the issuing of the USALs may have been fatal to their business cases..a chunk of their market is being covered by wi-fi operators; from my experience most of the licencees are already in trouble / largely dependent on third parties for all services

i have also heard a rumour of a listed ISP being allowed to install dslams in telkom boxes

 

[freeek]

Didn't IS do that already?

 

[Sneeky]

"High telecommunications costs are one of the things impeding the government's target of achieving 6 percent growth."

Well hello there 'government person'. Did you have a lovely sleep? No bad dreams about companies not wanting to come over and 'play' cause its to expensive for them i hope. Seeing as though you are awake now, please do me a favour and wake up the rest of your group, thx.