SA tech highlights of 2014

[QuintonB]

Telkom’s launch of FTTH, LTE-A, and other highlights in 2014

Telkom CEO Sipho Maseko shares his highlights of the year, and says what his biggest worries are in the local telecommunications space

 

[HelterSkelter]

When will they increase the entry level adsl line speed to 4Mbps?

 

[atomcrusher]

“We were excited to deliver the next evolution of super-fast broadband connectivity to our customers,” said Maseko.

The term "our customers" is incorrect. I'm a customer & still stuck on the max my local exchange supports, i.e. 4Mbps

So I remain unexcited

 

[Biscuit1018]

The term "our customers" is incorrect. I'm a customer & still stuck on the max my local exchange supports, i.e. 4Mbps

So I remain unexcited

In November 2013 our suburb started to lobby for better broadband
In November 2014 I had a max synch rate of 3.3Mbs
In December 2014 I get a 96Mb/s download and 9.8Mb/s up

 

[braniac]

ditto, except I'm at 2 Mbps.

 

[deweyzeph]

Wow, on what planet is "launching" products that 99.999% of the population will never have access to a "highlight"?

 

[Dan C]

Wow, on what planet is "launching" products that 99.999% of the population will never have access to a "highlight"?

exactly.. 4mbps adsl Sep 2006 --> 2015 , no change in what most can get. So Telkom drop your excitement

 

[deweyzeph]

exactly.. 4mbps adsl Sep 2006 --> 2015 , no change in what most can get. So Telkom drop your excitement

I was specifically thinking of FTTH and LTE-A, but I guess ADSL is slowly heading this way too.

 

[ranger]

When will they increase the entry level adsl line speed to 4Mbps?

This is probably waiting for all the heavily utilised DSLAMs to get ME backhaul, because most of them are at the limit of what ATM can provide.

 

[MickeyD]

This is probably waiting for all the heavily utilised DSLAMs to get ME backhaul, because most of them are at the limit of what ATM can provide.

Spot on, ranger! They were hoping to roll it out now in December but they underestimated the amount of work to be done, as well as plenty of customer ME orders flowing in, as well as one or two huge contracts that they signed (eg. Shoprite/Checkers). So April it is...

 

[ranger]

exactly.. 4mbps adsl Sep 2006 --> 2015 , no change in what most can get. So Telkom drop your excitement

So, Telkom didn't build an exchange closer to your house? Well, it is *impossible* to provide you a better service, except via the strategies that are currently being realised:
- Bring the DSL termination closer to you (MSAN rollout)
- Rolling out a technology that can provide better speeds and is not impacted as much by distance (FTTH).

Please go and look at the coverage map, and see how many areas have VDSL coverage. Over 25% of the active ADSL ports are *currently* on MSANs, and most of those ports could probably get 10Mbps or 20Mbps now, but 50% of them are on *2Mbps*.

 

[Dan C]

So, Telkom didn't build an exchange closer to your house? Well, it is *impossible* to provide you a better service, except via the strategies that are currently being realised:
- Bring the DSL termination closer to you (MSAN rollout)
- Rolling out a technology that can provide better speeds and is not impacted as much by distance (FTTH).

Please go and look at the coverage map, and see how many areas have VDSL coverage. Over 25% of the active ADSL ports are *currently* on MSANs, and most of those ports could probably get 10Mbps or 20Mbps now, but 50% of them are on *2Mbps*.

Probably only one exchange in East London can get VDSL (but I doubt it) .. most of the exchanges can handle 10mbps , but consumers can only get 4mbps.

All in all it's a disgrace I fear.

 

[Petec]

The second Telkom makes 10meg the standard here in SA, the likes of dstv and the rest, will take a huge arrow to the knee.

 

[Biscuit1018]

Probably only one exchange in East London can get VDSL (but I doubt it) .. most of the exchanges can handle 10mbps , but consumers can only get 4mbps.

All in all it's a disgrace I fear.

It is true, East London is 4Mb/s only for ADSL

But East London has quite decent LTE coverage(so says the coverage maps)

Of course streaming Netflix etc. on LTE will be a tad expensive

As much as it may pee you off (and it would me if I still lived in EL) East London is behind Jhb, Pta, CT, Durban and Bloem on the priority list.

The wealthier areas in EL will go 1st when it is their turn.
Is Selbourne still a good area? (Last there 20 plus years ago)

 

[MickeyD]

It is true, East London is 4Mb/s only for ADSL

Not true.

 

[ranger]

Probably only one exchange in East London can get VDSL (but I doubt it) .. most of the exchanges can handle 10mbps , but consumers can only get 4mbps.

There seems to be one MSAN in East London, but it seems to be deployed for commercial purposes (seems to cover a business area and doesn't provide VDl coverage to residential areas).

Unfortunately, new technologies go where there are higher concentrations of early adopters.