Is SEACOM racing past EASSy?

[rpm]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Telecoms/563.html

 

[Syndyre]

According to the Financial Times, new fiber links can drive down the current price of one megabit per second of bandwidth in East Africa. The current prices range from between US 7,500 and US 12,000 a month, the new cable system is expected to lower prices to between US 500 and US 800 a month.

That's a massive difference, hopefully it'll have a similar impact here. At least something's happening, anything with governmental involvement seems to be doomed to failure, too much politics.

 

[Sneeky]

According to official transcripts Shope-Mafole further said that a meeting had taken place to inform Telkom that the EASSy cable could not land on South African soil. This came after a group of African telecommunications companies, including Telkom SA, MTN (Uganda) and VSNL International signed construction and maintenance agreements for the EASSy Cable.

Shope-Mafole’s statement raises questions as to EASSy’s future potential as an alternative to the SAT3/SAFE system.

Is Seacom gaurenteed landing rights here or is South Africa an aside that will be addressed if and when legilation permits them to sell bandwidth in SA?

I don't understand any of this anymore, help!

 

[sahopeful]

exactly what we need

This is exactly what we need - "a business-as-usual-focus". Not some government bantering about who owns what and where. Dammit!

 

[AirWolf]

The first company to get their cable operational will be sitting on a gold mine

 

[risingtide]

EASSy probably first has to sort out the government facilitation surcharges, also known as bribes. With the number of governments involved this can only be a mamooth task.

Luckily they did not name the project the 'Easy' project, but then again, the project name may just have been a spelling mistake.

 

[Wyzak]

According to official transcripts Shope-Mafole further said that a meeting had taken place to inform Telkom that the EASSy cable could not land on South African soil.

Naturally, go away vile demon that lowers prices for internet users!!!!!

 

[reech]

According to official transcripts Shope-Mafole further said that a meeting had taken place to inform Telkom that the EASSy cable could not land on South African soil.

WTF - so if essay can't land what chance does SEACOM have?

I don't understand either - is there some another teir of international BW/cable landing rights exclusivity that I'm unaware of?

 

[MielieSpoor]

The first company to get their cable operational will be sitting on a gold mine

Help me if I'm wrong but isn't this the case with Telkom?

 

[krycor]

also confused about the landing..

 

[bwana]

also confused about the landing..

Is clarification imminent?

 

[Sneeky]

As the DoC so often reminds everyone, the thing is that nothing will ever happen unless it falls within the 'NEPAD strategic framework plan' which seems to be a bun fight between those that want affordable access for their citizens and those that want to make truckloads of money and to hell with the public, SA DoC seemingly falling into the later category.
Eassy is in the plan but no doubt with conditions, but is Seacom?

So, we can have all the cables in the world passing our lovely bandwidth starved shores, but until Ivy says they can land here, they are of little use to any of us.

Hopefully I have this all very wrong though.

 

[pkid]

I am speechless. I didn't know that it was possible for government to be this crap. I have never felt so helpless...

 

[Syndyre]

So, we can have all the cables in the world passing our lovely bandwidth starved shores, but until Ivy says they can land here, they are of little use to any of us.

Presumably they wouldn't be building the capable without some assurances though, And I think if someone offered to build a cable here and wanted landing rights the pressure would hopefully be too much for them to refuse.

 

[ads]

Presumably they wouldn't be building the cable without some assurances though, And I think if someone offered to build a cable here and wanted landing rights the pressure would hopefully be too much for them to refuse.

I think that this may be your answer:

"Seacom says Neotel is not directly involved in the project, but it is discussing a commercial agreement with the second national operator."

See http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2007/0706281040.asp

 

[ldmelsa]

I think that this may be your answer:

"Seacom says Neotel is not directly involved in the project, but it is discussing a commercial agreement with the second national operator."

See http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2007/0706281040.asp

“All of Seacom's backhaul will be premised on open access and low cost to encourage lower bandwidth cost,” the spokesman says.

cool

 

[Syndyre]

I think that this may be your answer:

"Seacom says Neotel is not directly involved in the project, but it is discussing a commercial agreement with the second national operator."

See http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2007/0706281040.asp

Interesting, especially this part:

According to Seacom, the cable will connect into Indian telecommunications group VSNL's global network and the South East Asia/Middle East West to East 4 cable in the Indian Ocean. This means it will have the ability to interconnect with a large number of submarine and terrestrial cables in Europe.

Seeing as that's Neotel's parent company it seems pretty likely.

 

[Oupoot]

Would be interesting if they do get govt approval for landing it in SA. Govt is quick to shoot initiatives down if it is not part of the "overall plan" - just look at what happened with the monorail project between Soweto & Jozi. And given that there are already other cables being planned that has govt approval, they may decide that there will be too much competition and thus not enough profits for these other approved cables. So they will want new research done, delaying everything for another year before they start negotiations & consultations - we will be lucky if anythings gets done b4 2010