ISOC Press Release: Your suggestions needed!

rpm

rpm

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Hi folks

I have pledged our support to ISOC-ZA regarding their initiative to organize a ‘bandwidth indaba’ involving government, and they have asked for your feedback and suggestions (see article at http://www.mybroadband.co.za/news/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=262
):

“Is it possible to ask your users to send me suggestions about the press release? Calvin was on radio last night with Alec Hogg from Moneyweb. It was very brief but will help to raise awareness. One of the questions posed was when a meeting with government could be held. I would like to push for end of September. Such a meeting must be with Dept of Communications, Science & Technology, Public Administration, DTI, ICASA, Telkom, Sentech, ISPA, ISOC, MyADSL, etc. in a public forum.”

Please post your comments and suggestion here. I will compile them and forward them to ISOC.

Regards,

RPM
[email protected]
 
Break the bandwidth argument into two.

1. Local

2. International


For now, accept that international bandwidth is expensive, although we know this not to be true.
This eliminates all telkom's arguments of expensive international bandwidth and so on.

Telkom must be able to deliver cheap national bandwidth.

Demand an ADSL service, local only, for about R200 pm uncappped
and ask Telkom why this cannot be done if other countries can
do it internationally for the same cost.
 
Other countries are pushing broadband in such a big way because they see it as a tool for economic growth. Why can't our government start allocating a bigger budget to establishing broadband internet or bandwidth?
 
I think the main complaint is high cost of bandwidth, especiallly international and telkom's stranglehold on it. The government should seriously look at adding international capacity.

"South Africa's bandwidth drought continues, no end in sight...."
 
Legislation must definately be part of the equation here. Government needs to take a good hard look at what other developing and developed countries are doing to see how they have changed their communication laws to make access to internet/telecommunications more affordable and competitive, therefore furthering their technological and economic development through the use and implementation of affordable and RELIABLE ( affordable to the masses) internet technologies. Ie adsl.
Use other countries with successful rollouts as blue prints for how to move forward in this country.
Legislation needs to be dynamic and able to change and keep pace with technology, at the moment our laws do not allow for this.


"There is nothing more frightful than ignorance in action."
 
The cost of adsl bandwidth, as payed to the ISP, is not too bad. It is the R600 line rental that makes adsl expensive, and that should have nothing to do with bandwidth.
 
SAT3 should be opened up, it's very underutilised at the moment. Perhaps a chunk of it should be sold to say Sentech or other interested companies and not hoarded by Telkom like a fat kid with a chocolate bar.

The ADSL Cap is very low - 10GB for home users and 15GB for business users would be way more reasonable for the price even though the ADSL line rental remains a total ripoff. Telkom are making a hell of a profit on the per GB transfer cost as it is so that should be changed.

Alternatively the ADSL line rental should be done away with - the rollout has been paid for, Telkom makes at least 21,000,000 a month so the rollout and equipment has been paid for.

Of course, Telkom will kick and scream and whip out their book of excuses about why not to make any changes and Government will take a back seat but still reap the rewards. These guys have had their time milking us - i say <b>go for it ISOC-ZA</b>! Hellkom is behind you all the way!


<font color="navy"><font size="1"><b>Where others have progress, we have Telkom.</b>
Hellkom website - www.hellkom.co.za</font id="size1"></font id="navy">
 
As broadband uptake increases in South Africa, local content providers will require more bandwidth.

The cost of this is currently inhibiting.

My feeling is that some are actually overutilising their current bandwidth due to the extreme cost of expanding.

I agree with others that the issue should be divided into national and international bandwidth costs.

The mere fact that MyADSL is in excile is already an idication that the national rates are rotten. One might still argue that 50% more expensive than the USA is defendable. But 500% (and more) can't be defended at all by "geographic and market" factors.

South Africa needs World Class Broadband at World Competitive Prices.
 
Hi guys

Thanks so far for the insightful comments. Please keep them coming!

I have just been contacted by the SABC regarding this issue which is obviously a good sign. We might not always see the results immediately, but the activity on this forum and MyADSL’s general respectability definitely makes a difference. Because of you guys we have become a voice that is not easily ignored!

Regards,

RPM
[email protected]
 
1 According to Solidarity "Telkom has access to 20% of the SAT-3 AND safe cable even though it only purchased 13% (Total of 27.3Gbps).
Looks like nearly a third of their bandwidth,Telkom did not pay for & surely does not deserve it.Lets do some digging into this .This might be easier than to change Telkom's pricelist

2 If Telkom can charge from JHB to CapeTown at 99c/Min (1400km) ,Why are We paying so much for local calls (only 50km)?.We have just found the confession of the accused on TV :)

3 Bandwidth is "an electric pulse over copper wire" or "laser light emitting over fiber optic cabel
it is not an energy commodity like electricity or petrol. It is more similarly compared to processing power of computer ,i.e. clock speed of PC.
Therefor cost of bandwidth can NOT track CPI index (consumer price index ) or Inflation.

If processing power of PC has to track CPI ,one PC will cost over R1 million Rand by Now,! (since its commercilisation 22 years ago)
One of the main reason that cost of bandwidth is so high in this country, is because Telkom adjust tariffs yearly according to CPI ,(in Jan 2005 they will do it again !)

But in elsewhere in the world ,cost of bandwidth does Not track CPI index.Consumer get more bandwidth for the same price due to technology advancements.Thus the price trend of bandwidth is downwards, but here in SA ,the price trend is still upwards.This is the problem accumulated over more than a decade.

4 Telecom companies should price their tariffs ,according to optimal utilization of the entire network,because what is not used is wasted.(waste of the country's resource to progress)
Bandwidth is measured in byte over time ,can not accumulate.
 
Costs, Costs and costs again .......
"<i>It is not surprising that entrepreneurs sign up for ADSL because it gives them full control of their internet costs, fixed every month at R800."</i> says Nombulelo Moholi, Telkom’s Chief Sales and marketing Officer.

The average small business with 3 lines and telkomadsl is paying R2000.00 to R4000.00 to telkom.

Anywhere else in the world this bill is fixed at less than R500.00.

telkom is collecting billions more than it would in a normal competitive country only because the government has legislated telkom to do so.

The government is guilty of creating and maintaining a monopoly and its intentions are just illegal tax collection.
 
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nOhIwAy</i>
<br />Costs, Costs and costs again .......
"<i>It is not surprising that entrepreneurs sign up for ADSL because it gives them full control of their internet costs, fixed every month at R800."</i> says Nombulelo Moholi, Telkom’s Chief Sales and marketing Officer.


<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I agree with nOhIwAy - but would rather phrase Moholi's quote as:

It is not surprising that entrepreneurs sign up for ADSL because IT IS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE, AS WELL AS ONLY, OPTION WITHIN THE TELKOM PRICING ENVIRONMENT

If MyWi was a functional alternative, I would have dropped ADSL for the 256k package - for reasons of COST EFFICIENCY. But, even MyWi (if it worked) is not cost efficient broadband compared with the pricing available in the USA, UK against which local entrepreneurs have to compete.



South Africa needs World Class Broadband at World Competitive Prices.
 
I have a pretty good job. Like most, i have a morgage & car payment as my 2 biggest monthly expenses. Even so, in this country, I'm in the top 15% earners. I cannot afford broadband. Thats how expensive it is in this country. Costs, costs, costs. Thats the main issue.

Telkom - South Africa's Handbrake to progress.
 
Basically - For competition to work, you need a free market. Anybody must be allowed to purchase international bandwidth directly from the providers. As long as that stranglehold is in place, there can be no free market. Change legislation now.

The more you know - the worse it gets.
 
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