ckleynhans
Active Member
A lot of the discussion in the ADSL forum seems to be centered on the 3GByte Cap issue. I am afraid that it seems the forum wants to use this issue to hang Telkom with, where-as there are a lot more at stake here that we should be aware of.
THE ORIGINAL SOUTH AFRICAN ADSL BUSINESS MODEL
Telkom originally had the illusion, or were trying to create the illusion, that the public only wants ADSL so that they could get access to "Video on demand" i.e. download a movie to your PC on a Friday afternoon and watch it that evening. Telkom were trying to find partners to assist them in this endeavor. The theory behind this is quite simple. If a company is formed that provides this video on demand service, it will be able to link into the local exchange and distribute the video through it to ADSL subscribers on that same local exchange. This would have implied that the only communications bandwidth in question would have been in the local loop, i.e. between the user and the exchange. This piece of copper wire is dedicated to the subscriber in any case and it implies that no bandwidth would have been taken up on the Telkom network. In this business model, it would be possible to achieve the kind of throughputs at the upper end of what is advertised for ADSL, only limited by the quality of the copper in the local loop without touching the operators network.
THE EVOLUTION OF TELECOMMS TECHNOLOGY TOWARDS ADSL
Ordinary modem access to the Internet is very inefficient to say the least. It uses modems that send modulation patterns across analogue telephone lines. In reality, the telephone lines are actually analogue sitting on digital and it is like that only because telephony was originally analogue of nature and it attempts to remain compatible with the old system. The digital carrier actually consumes 64kbit/s on the network during a telephone conversation but the user doesn't get access to this because of this analogue/digital mambo jumbo. The way around it is to use ISDN which will provide on or two of these telephone channels of 64kbit/s right down to the user which increases the efficiency of the channel utilization for the network operator but which doesn't cost him more on his network in terms of bandwidth utilization. 64kbit/s remains 64kbit/s.
ADSL technology became feasible when it became possible to carry high bandwidths on the local loop without changing the actual copper cable between the user and the exchange. The problem is that although the local loop is now fast, it immediately puts pressure on the network operator to follow this bandwidth requirement right through the network. The model was adapted to allow for packetised data (in the line of TCP/IP) on the operator’s network. Everybody was now allowed to share in the bandwidth pool and only when it was required. In analogue and ASDN connections, the users pay for periods of data activity and empty 64kbit/s streams run through the network while the user is busy reading the page he just downloaded. But ADSL only uses bandwidth in the network when there are actually data flowing and the user doesn't pay (or should not pay) for those moments of silence.
THE CONCEPT OF "ALWAYS ON".
"Always On " is a business offering made possible by communication technologies such as ADSL, GPRS and UMTS. It implies that a connection always remain valid because there are no reason to disconnect. It is possible because no cost is incurred by being connected, only by actually downloading or uploading data to the network. These technologies were suitable for a complete different business model, one in which the user may pay a small subscription for having the service and then the rest for the data that actually traveled through the operator’s network when it was required. It would now be possible to receive email in real-time without this continuous dial in scenario and the user would pay for the actual data size present in the email. The user can now read his newspaper or online book and only pay for the actual content download and not the time spend reading it.
THE FEAR OF STREAMING
ADSL makes it possible for the user to attach to a streaming video or radio service and to listen or view this continuously and leave it running even when the user is not present. Instead of using idle bandwidth on the network, ADSL may now begin to put pressure on bandwidth per se and this may put enormous pressure on the network operator to expand his network almost exponentially. In the "ALWAYS ON" business model, the user would still have to pay for the bandwidth used and this should be a deterrent for unnecessary streaming and abuse but putting a "CAP" on would be a good safeguard in case everybody is willing to pay for this bandwidth and brings the network down unexpectedly. The network is of national interest and it would bring the network operator in huge trouble if the network can't handle strategic services such as emergency services as well as basic telephony.
QUALITY OF SERVICE
Most of the new Telecomms services are designed around a "Quality of Service" QoS model which dictates exactly what the user can expect of this service. It deals with issues such as guaranteed throughput, streaming errors, capping etc. a lot of, which are defined in very technical terminology. Telkom took a simple approach and forced one model onto their subscribers. They also freed themselves from any responsibility from guarantees such as for guaranteed throughput. It implies that they have offered their customers the worst possible package at the most unreasonable price possible.
In reality there should have been a few QoS packages possible because there may be a lot of possibilities for its use which may differ entirely. All of these are possible but Telkom refrains from getting tangled up in complexities because they don't have to. The intention in the first place was to offer ADSL to the public by not offering it. In other words, there was huge pressure on them to provide it and therefore they have decided to offer it but to make the package so unattractive as possible to prevent the volume of change from making life difficult for them.
RESETTING THE LINE
The ADSL that Telkom offers is not an "ALWAYS ON" service. Telkom has decided that they will reset all ADSL lines every 24 hours or so and that the users would then have to obtain a new IP address to use the service. Telkom's weak reason for this was that it was for security reasons. Although security is affected by having a continuous IP address when a hacker has you under its eye and tries you day after day, it should be an issue of the user whether he wants such a service or not. The "no questions allowed" approach implies that Telkom has dubious motives with it and it has been suggested that it is to prevent clients to run their own Webservers on the service. That seems pretty valid to me.
TELKOM HOLDS THE IT INDUSTRY AT RANSOM
The IT industry is a dynamic one and essential to the welfare of any country at a time where we talk of the "information revolution". Telkom's monopoly in the South African economy and its unwillingness to at least show leniency in terms of pricing and service is repulsive when we know that everybody has to contribute to the welfare of all and especially those whom have all the years relied on the taxpayers to keep them floating. The pricing of ADSL is in line with a possible Telkom plan of squashing the competition when they appear on the horizon, by effectively buying the subsidy now with which they will finance future undercutting of the market.
ADSL specifically has the potential to boost the economy in a similar way that the introduction of cellular phones to the South African market did. It offers so many of the features that could make the way we think of our lives and work change dramatically.
ADSL CAN FACILITATE THE "WORK FROM HOME" CONCEPT.
Many of us nowadays experience our complete workday behind the keyboard and communicate in many ways through internal emails with each other, exchanging documents etc. It is happening and it can be accelerated with ADSL to the point where most of us will have the opportunity to work from home but still be visible in the corporate workday context. It has to happen in the end because it would eventually not be practical to carry all the traffic that is required to take us to work everyday. Moving data from point A to B requires much less energy than propelling a human being the same distance, plus the added security to high tech workers is enormous.
THE CONNECTED HOME
There are tons of technologies that are just waiting to roll out once it becomes possible to have some kind of webserver technology at home. We are not necessarily talking of high bandwidth equipment but the simple ability to get access to a few Mbytes of data a month. Alarm systems that contain small webservers as part of their make-up can be easily accessed while away on holiday from an Internet Cafe if needs be to establish whether everything is still in order and if not what has happened. Photos from CCTV systems etc can be accessed to establish whether there was an attempted burglary at home or if it was only a good friend coming over for a visit. This is a simple example but the bigger picture says that we will move in that direction and the Internet will take on a whole new meaning. South Africa, with its dire need to improve the IT industry which also entails the black IT industry can play a mayor role here. But we cannot do it with Telkom hijacking the economy in such a blunt way by strangling available technology from us.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
What I am saying here is that there are much more at stake than a simple 3GByte Cap on ADSL. Telkom has taken a minimalistic approach to ADSL out of plain incompetence for the simple reason that they don't stare competition in the face. 512kbit/s implies that nobody will be in need of extra copper and special lines which makes things simple. 3GByte implies that nobody is going to put pressure on the network which implies no expensive traffic engineering needed. High price means that the service subsidize future price cuts as well as again keeping pressure of the network and limiting the number of skilled workers required. IP resetting kills "ALWAYS ON" and makes it very difficult for low budget businesses to experiment with their own webservers and also make a whole bunch of technologies impossible. If Telkom had competition we would not have the right to criticize them in this way but they are a monopoly and they are not dealing responsibly with mandate that they have been given.
FINAL PROPOSALS
Give us flexibility in price and QoS. Give us "ALWAYS ON". Make it possible for the IT industry to come in and create a new boom sector. Keep price down as far as possible.
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| Christiaan |
------------------------
THE ORIGINAL SOUTH AFRICAN ADSL BUSINESS MODEL
Telkom originally had the illusion, or were trying to create the illusion, that the public only wants ADSL so that they could get access to "Video on demand" i.e. download a movie to your PC on a Friday afternoon and watch it that evening. Telkom were trying to find partners to assist them in this endeavor. The theory behind this is quite simple. If a company is formed that provides this video on demand service, it will be able to link into the local exchange and distribute the video through it to ADSL subscribers on that same local exchange. This would have implied that the only communications bandwidth in question would have been in the local loop, i.e. between the user and the exchange. This piece of copper wire is dedicated to the subscriber in any case and it implies that no bandwidth would have been taken up on the Telkom network. In this business model, it would be possible to achieve the kind of throughputs at the upper end of what is advertised for ADSL, only limited by the quality of the copper in the local loop without touching the operators network.
THE EVOLUTION OF TELECOMMS TECHNOLOGY TOWARDS ADSL
Ordinary modem access to the Internet is very inefficient to say the least. It uses modems that send modulation patterns across analogue telephone lines. In reality, the telephone lines are actually analogue sitting on digital and it is like that only because telephony was originally analogue of nature and it attempts to remain compatible with the old system. The digital carrier actually consumes 64kbit/s on the network during a telephone conversation but the user doesn't get access to this because of this analogue/digital mambo jumbo. The way around it is to use ISDN which will provide on or two of these telephone channels of 64kbit/s right down to the user which increases the efficiency of the channel utilization for the network operator but which doesn't cost him more on his network in terms of bandwidth utilization. 64kbit/s remains 64kbit/s.
ADSL technology became feasible when it became possible to carry high bandwidths on the local loop without changing the actual copper cable between the user and the exchange. The problem is that although the local loop is now fast, it immediately puts pressure on the network operator to follow this bandwidth requirement right through the network. The model was adapted to allow for packetised data (in the line of TCP/IP) on the operator’s network. Everybody was now allowed to share in the bandwidth pool and only when it was required. In analogue and ASDN connections, the users pay for periods of data activity and empty 64kbit/s streams run through the network while the user is busy reading the page he just downloaded. But ADSL only uses bandwidth in the network when there are actually data flowing and the user doesn't pay (or should not pay) for those moments of silence.
THE CONCEPT OF "ALWAYS ON".
"Always On " is a business offering made possible by communication technologies such as ADSL, GPRS and UMTS. It implies that a connection always remain valid because there are no reason to disconnect. It is possible because no cost is incurred by being connected, only by actually downloading or uploading data to the network. These technologies were suitable for a complete different business model, one in which the user may pay a small subscription for having the service and then the rest for the data that actually traveled through the operator’s network when it was required. It would now be possible to receive email in real-time without this continuous dial in scenario and the user would pay for the actual data size present in the email. The user can now read his newspaper or online book and only pay for the actual content download and not the time spend reading it.
THE FEAR OF STREAMING
ADSL makes it possible for the user to attach to a streaming video or radio service and to listen or view this continuously and leave it running even when the user is not present. Instead of using idle bandwidth on the network, ADSL may now begin to put pressure on bandwidth per se and this may put enormous pressure on the network operator to expand his network almost exponentially. In the "ALWAYS ON" business model, the user would still have to pay for the bandwidth used and this should be a deterrent for unnecessary streaming and abuse but putting a "CAP" on would be a good safeguard in case everybody is willing to pay for this bandwidth and brings the network down unexpectedly. The network is of national interest and it would bring the network operator in huge trouble if the network can't handle strategic services such as emergency services as well as basic telephony.
QUALITY OF SERVICE
Most of the new Telecomms services are designed around a "Quality of Service" QoS model which dictates exactly what the user can expect of this service. It deals with issues such as guaranteed throughput, streaming errors, capping etc. a lot of, which are defined in very technical terminology. Telkom took a simple approach and forced one model onto their subscribers. They also freed themselves from any responsibility from guarantees such as for guaranteed throughput. It implies that they have offered their customers the worst possible package at the most unreasonable price possible.
In reality there should have been a few QoS packages possible because there may be a lot of possibilities for its use which may differ entirely. All of these are possible but Telkom refrains from getting tangled up in complexities because they don't have to. The intention in the first place was to offer ADSL to the public by not offering it. In other words, there was huge pressure on them to provide it and therefore they have decided to offer it but to make the package so unattractive as possible to prevent the volume of change from making life difficult for them.
RESETTING THE LINE
The ADSL that Telkom offers is not an "ALWAYS ON" service. Telkom has decided that they will reset all ADSL lines every 24 hours or so and that the users would then have to obtain a new IP address to use the service. Telkom's weak reason for this was that it was for security reasons. Although security is affected by having a continuous IP address when a hacker has you under its eye and tries you day after day, it should be an issue of the user whether he wants such a service or not. The "no questions allowed" approach implies that Telkom has dubious motives with it and it has been suggested that it is to prevent clients to run their own Webservers on the service. That seems pretty valid to me.
TELKOM HOLDS THE IT INDUSTRY AT RANSOM
The IT industry is a dynamic one and essential to the welfare of any country at a time where we talk of the "information revolution". Telkom's monopoly in the South African economy and its unwillingness to at least show leniency in terms of pricing and service is repulsive when we know that everybody has to contribute to the welfare of all and especially those whom have all the years relied on the taxpayers to keep them floating. The pricing of ADSL is in line with a possible Telkom plan of squashing the competition when they appear on the horizon, by effectively buying the subsidy now with which they will finance future undercutting of the market.
ADSL specifically has the potential to boost the economy in a similar way that the introduction of cellular phones to the South African market did. It offers so many of the features that could make the way we think of our lives and work change dramatically.
ADSL CAN FACILITATE THE "WORK FROM HOME" CONCEPT.
Many of us nowadays experience our complete workday behind the keyboard and communicate in many ways through internal emails with each other, exchanging documents etc. It is happening and it can be accelerated with ADSL to the point where most of us will have the opportunity to work from home but still be visible in the corporate workday context. It has to happen in the end because it would eventually not be practical to carry all the traffic that is required to take us to work everyday. Moving data from point A to B requires much less energy than propelling a human being the same distance, plus the added security to high tech workers is enormous.
THE CONNECTED HOME
There are tons of technologies that are just waiting to roll out once it becomes possible to have some kind of webserver technology at home. We are not necessarily talking of high bandwidth equipment but the simple ability to get access to a few Mbytes of data a month. Alarm systems that contain small webservers as part of their make-up can be easily accessed while away on holiday from an Internet Cafe if needs be to establish whether everything is still in order and if not what has happened. Photos from CCTV systems etc can be accessed to establish whether there was an attempted burglary at home or if it was only a good friend coming over for a visit. This is a simple example but the bigger picture says that we will move in that direction and the Internet will take on a whole new meaning. South Africa, with its dire need to improve the IT industry which also entails the black IT industry can play a mayor role here. But we cannot do it with Telkom hijacking the economy in such a blunt way by strangling available technology from us.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
What I am saying here is that there are much more at stake than a simple 3GByte Cap on ADSL. Telkom has taken a minimalistic approach to ADSL out of plain incompetence for the simple reason that they don't stare competition in the face. 512kbit/s implies that nobody will be in need of extra copper and special lines which makes things simple. 3GByte implies that nobody is going to put pressure on the network which implies no expensive traffic engineering needed. High price means that the service subsidize future price cuts as well as again keeping pressure of the network and limiting the number of skilled workers required. IP resetting kills "ALWAYS ON" and makes it very difficult for low budget businesses to experiment with their own webservers and also make a whole bunch of technologies impossible. If Telkom had competition we would not have the right to criticize them in this way but they are a monopoly and they are not dealing responsibly with mandate that they have been given.
FINAL PROPOSALS
Give us flexibility in price and QoS. Give us "ALWAYS ON". Make it possible for the IT industry to come in and create a new boom sector. Keep price down as far as possible.
-----------------------
| Christiaan |
------------------------
]...no seriously