Is an ISP account really required?

[sposton]

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned before, but I would really like to know why I need an ISP account to use the ADSL service. I know Telkom states so, but what has the ISP got to do with dynamically assigning me an ip address for my router? Doesn't telkom's equipment at the end of the ADSL line give me that address and not the ISP.

I don't really see why I should pay mweb some R299 a month when Telkoms ADSL service has nothing to do with them?!? I can understand if I utilise mweb's equipment but I don't think I am. From R70pm to R299 is a little steep!

Please comment.

Steve

 

[martin]

You're basically paying your ISP for a VERY expensive username and password. Even if you do everything exclusively through Telkom, you still have to pay Telkom ISP for a login. The only reasoning behind paying a different ISP (mweb, storm...), is that you're putting a little bit less money into Telkom's pocket.

No ISP = no login account.

 

[kaspaas]

The ADSL service has 2 cost components to the consumer:

First you pay for the priviledge that Telkom connected the end of your telephone line to the DSLAM in the exchange. This does not include any bandwith - it is merely for the fact that your telephone line is "ADSL enabled".

Then you have to purchase bandwidth as well. And that is what the R200+ is for - the ISP charge. It is this part that gets capped as well.



South Africa needs World Class Broadband at World Competitive Prices.

 

[martin]

Yip, you're right. Sorry sposton, our "very generous" 3GB is also linked to our ISP account.

 

[CrazyMadMan]

And after the 200 bux for the bandwidth the line your using is still the exact R80 a month phone line that you used before it was "ADSL enabled" so what is the other R800 for!? hahahahahahahah

Fantasy is what people want, reality is what they need.

 

[mithrandi]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">First you pay for the priviledge that Telkom connected the end of your telephone line to the DSLAM in the exchange. This does not include any bandwith - it is merely for the fact that your telephone line is "ADSL enabled".<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Actually, I'd say you ARE paying for the bandwidth to the DSLAMs/BRASs as part of your ADSL line rental.

mithrandi, i Ainil en-Balandor, a faer Ambar

 

[donwauchope]

I am new to the SA ADSL scene. Please confirm that we have to pay Telkom for ADSL access and an ISP for ADSL connection?

In the UK we paid a service provider a flat rate that included ADSL access and connection.

 

[martin]

Rest assured in the fact that your worst fears are now confirmed.

 

[BTTB]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The only reasoning behind paying a different ISP (mweb, storm...), is that you're putting a little bit less money into Telkom's pocket. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Or im my case, I wanted to keep my email address with MWeb. And having good service from them with ISDN, I thought the same service would apply to ADSL. However the service is substandard, but hardly MWeb's fault.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> I can understand if I utilise mweb's equipment but I don't think I am. From R70pm to R299 is a little steep!<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Good point. Im not sure how much the ISP has to pay Telkom for the ADSL bandwidth.

<b><hr noshade size="1"></b><font size="2"><font color="red"><b>You can take Telkom out of the Post Office but you can't take the Post Office out of Telkom.</b></font id="red"></font id="size2">

 

[sposton]

Dear BTTB,

I haven't really had a problem with mweb as my adsl service provider. Bandwidth has not been an issue. I'm not an avid downloader but when I have it's been fine.

btw. don't really know from 9-5 during business hours though but i will test it out in the next few weeks.

Steve

 

[charvel]

We all know that Telkom is a monopoloy, but people don't realise how much. Did you know that Telkom is forcing ISP's to make use of their infrastructure for ADSL? Internet Solutions attempted to set up their own ADSL service, but the way that Telkom has structured the current ADSL infrastructure it would've costed IS a fortune to continue with the project and they have thus abandonded the idea. Telkom charges ISP's around R160 - R180 per ADSL VISP account...and that is just for the connection, not for any added services. The ISP then still needs to recover this cost as well as admin and support fees for the product. So, it's quite clear, Telkom charges ISP's on some (if not most) of their products more than what they are selling it to their customers...and we all thought the ISP's are the bad guys...

 

[BTTB]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">and we all thought the ISP's are the bad guys...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Telkom is without a doubt the bad boy on the block.

<b><hr noshade size="1"></b><font size="2"><font color="red"><b>You can take Telkom out of the Post Office but you can't take the Post Office out of Telkom.</b></font id="red"></font id="size2">