ICASA ADSL Hearings: Your Feedback Needed

How about we just check all the points from the last hearings?

Nothing has really changed.
 
Personally I'd like them to have a annually reviewable definition for broadband. The bare minimum starting off should be 1024 and not 384 like they suggested. Define broadband around the content that needs to be delivered.

PS - I dont care what the stagnant US definitions say.
 
nexushub makes a lot of sense here, and i think he's right. If the government would retract its stake in Telkom, a "privatised" telecoms, I'm certain we'd see a dramatic change.
 
lpvoid said:
nexushub makes a lot of sense here, and i think he's right. If the government would retract its stake in Telkom, a "privatised" telecoms, I'm certain we'd see a dramatic change.


Bollocks - until there is competition a private enterprise would knbob adsl users as much as a goverment owned one.....

throw the market to the wolves and let the strong survive.....
 
If you want to have an ADSL connection you are forced to pay phone line rental as well even if you don't want it. This should be addressed.
 
Lower price

No Cap

No shaping

Fast installation.

ICASA to get something done, pipe dream i know. But it would be nice.
 
Last edited:
Mention the world cup :)

It's 4 years away and we're at least 6 years behind the rest of the world in terms of broadband penetration, pricing and technology.

We are going to be the planet's laughing stock when all those tourists get here expecting 2010 internet access (easily around 100mbs at the current rate of growth) at international price levels.
 
We are going to be the planet's laughing stock when all those tourists get here expecting 2010 internet access (easily around 100mbs at the current rate of growth) at international price levels.
By 2010 the world will have moved on exponentially - there is no way this closed market can provide in any meaningful way - open competition is the only thing that will bring technology onstream "soonest." I don't know why we constantly have to rehash this stuff - and always reinvent the world. Europe has been through this - why can't we get, or use UK legislation (that brought BT down to size for instance?)
 
Here's my thoughts for what should be presented:

1) Telkom should make known the cost to provide bandwidth.
2) The Per-Gig model needs to be reviewed and the total cost PER gig lowered.
3) Since Telkom insists that ADSL line rental be paid in addition to the normal pots line rental, I feel that the distinction between shaped and unshaped access be removed. No need to pay more for an unshaped service when you're already limited to a bandwidth cap. If more bandwidth is used, the more the client should pay. Just make it a reasonable fee in terms of (2) above.

I'm sure this will go a long way to resolving the problems being experienced. Telkom is afterall planning to upgrade to a new IP based infrastructure so excuses about 'balancing' and 'policing' user's activity hold no water.
 
In order for podcasting to take-off in a proper way here in SA, making it affordable for EVERYBODY is a huge factor - do away with the over priced "monthly connection fee" is a good start. Make much larger caps or remove caps entirely.
 
What happened to the draft regulations? They asked for our feedback by January and haven't heard anything since.
 
Hi Highflyer_GP

This is what these hearings are all about... After this they will make amendmends and it will then become regulation.
 
kifoth said:
Mention the world cup :)

It's 4 years away and we're at least 6 years behind the rest of the world in terms of broadband penetration, pricing and technology.

We are going to be the planet's laughing stock when all those tourists get here expecting 2010 internet access (easily around 100mbs at the current rate of growth) at international price levels.


Be positive: Telkom is going to spend a massive R30billion to get our network up to standard before then.
 
Thanks rpm :)

In that case I think maybe the best thing to do is to re-inforce what was said in the draft regulations, as well as clearing up any of the loopholes that we found. For example the minimum cap should be 10GB, but doesn't state the cost of the 10GB. So perhaps by bringing the minimum 10GB to the same price as current 3GB packages. And so on
 
Telkom says the majority of their users don't reach their cap.
Tell ICASA it is logical to count your bytes if you know you will be without service if you don't take care. If the cap was 1GB most users would have used less than that. Their argument is plain flawed.
EDIT: It's the same as the traffic department saying they have found that most drivers drive below the speed limit.
 
Last edited:
Indeed ajax,

Dont forget to drill that point home RPM, for the most part i expect this hearings too be just another regurgitation of the one.

Keep on keeping on!

PS. I think someone said SAIX & Telkom had the same Tax Number, maybe ask why that is if they're "seperate entities".
 
All I am asking is uncapped broadband at a reasonable price. Nothing more, nothing less. We deserve it. Please fight for our rights!
 
stix said:
Bollocks - until there is competition a private enterprise would knbob adsl users as much as a goverment owned one.....

throw the market to the wolves and let the strong survive.....

I tend to agree with stix here. The only scenario where the consumer would benefit would be to open the market and let the competition fight over keeping consumers.

btw, for the hearings just mention the same problems:

1) Price
2) CAP
3) shaping (and now shaped in a per GB model!)
4) Speed

Edit:
Also worthwhile to have current comparisons to other countries with ADSL that Telkom cannot dispute.
 
Last edited:
Re the up-coming ICASA Hearings

In connection with the above, as it pertains to cellular data services, I would like to suggest the following:

1. Just like everyone else, I ask that the downward price trend for data be maintained.

2. It's prudent to suggest that the Network Operators should deliver better help-desk support for the growing category of data services. Waiting on-hold in a queue for 20 minutes is entirely unsatisfactory! Surely there are better ways to service such specialised needs?

3. I would also like to see guaranteed network performance minima for data services, as described below;

It appears that cellular data services are adaptive, according to content priority, and that bandwidth frequently suffers. No doubt, real-time voice traffic, and streaming video, require a higher priority. Nonetheless, dependable data bandwidth is also important to data users nowadays, so one requires a predictable bandwidth.

One might think that GPRS, EDGE, 3G, or HSPDA, can deliver the stated baud rates given in the device's spec sheet. In reality, the ACTUAL performance is susceptable to many externalities. There are valid excuses for variable performance using a wireless link, but this does not diminish the responsibility of the Network Operator to provide sufficient network capacity to match the bandwidth demanded by subscribers.

4. Lastly, I cannot accept the outrageous pricing that is used for "original equipment" accessories, like data cables, and other add-ons. How can a piece of wire with two plugs attached be worth R500.00? The Chinese version of the same thing generally sells for about 20% of the original.

Food for thought...
 
Last edited:
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X