ISP Data Capping - Telkom

[unwired]

Hi All

Being fairly new to ADSL and on www.mybroadband.co.za, one item that amazes me is that I subscribe to a 2Gb data bundle, however end up being allowed to use +- 3Gb in a month.

I remember seeing an article on mybroadband regarding this where most of Telkom ISP users reported similar 'over allowances', which seems to max out at +- 50% of your bundle. Is something like this allowed? Do other ISP's have a similar policy regarding this or do they just cut you off once you hit the limit?

I receive a daily email regarding from Telkom indicating my month to date usage as well as the percentage I have used. What stands to me the most is that if you take your actual usage and divide that by the percentage that you have used (as per the email), in my case it always and without fail comes out to 3G (i.e. 2G + 50% more). Its almost as if Telkom knows this and deliberately bumps up your limit. In a similar manner a 3G subscriber would receive +- 4.5G.

Unless this practice is widespread in other ISP's, it seems to me as if Telkom is trying to deliberately influence the ADSL market unfairly. It grants you 50% more data than you subscribed to, knowing full well that the power user will take full advantage whilst a fair majority will not even know this and will not even come close to their subscribed limit.

Bearing in mind that competition is hotting up in this market (Vodacom have just entered the market as well) and that all the mobile networks are rolling out their own fibre networks, that Telkom is trying to get an unfair hold in the market, and influence the market to stay with them?

Am I far off the beaten track or does it make sense to some of you out there?

Would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks

 

[zamrg]

yes, the general rule of thumb is that TelkomInternet offers you 150% of the given cap, so a 2gb account will get you 3gb+-.

It's well known that the relationship among TelkomInternet, Telkom and SAIX is a major factor preventing other isp's from competing and even complying with the ADSL regulations. Telkom effectively controls the wholesale market and abuses their power by retailing these solutions at lower prices and lower costs and hence undercutting competition.

With the roll out of fibre for national networks, the launch of multiple undersea cables and the unbundling of the local loop, we might finally see a free market. Until such a time that Telkom/TelkomInternet/SAIX isn't in complete control of wholesale of international and local b/w, and even the local loop, other isps will struggle to compete.