Sentech = Infosat = IS = Telkom = vicious circle

[aels]

i have been reading about Sentech launching this new service .. sounds like a company who actually has there own infrastructure , but looking closer it doesn't actually ... I am no SA Internet boffin and not sure how SA internet works exactly as I haven't been there for 4 years, but this is what I think :

TELKOM
|
-- Internet Solutions = Infosat = Sentech


Also if you look at the routing table of a transit router on the Internet , then you will see that all Sentech IP addresses originates from within the IS Autonomous System (AS3741) ...

transit1>sh ip bgp 196.36.97.0
BGP routing table entry for 196.36.0.0/16, version 8278528
Paths: (9 available, best #2)
Advertised to non peer-group peers:
195.66.232.240 195.66.232.249 198.108.0.4
3257 3741
213.200.77.45 (metric 12) from 195.66.232.240 (195.66.232.240)
Origin IGP, metric 9, localpref 100, valid, internal
Community: 3257:4500 3257:5010 5459:1 5459:70
2529 3741
195.66.248.26 from 195.66.248.26 (194.159.7.121)
Origin IGP, localpref 100, valid, external, best
Community: 5459:1 5459:70
2529 3741, (received-only)
195.66.248.26 from 195.66.248.26 (194.159.7.121)
Origin IGP, localpref 100, valid, external
702 701 3741
195.66.248.10 from 195.66.248.10 (158.43.206.64)
Origin IGP, localpref 100, valid, external
Community: 5459:1 5459:70
702 701 3741, (received-only)
195.66.248.10 from 195.66.248.10 (158.43.206.64)
Origin IGP, localpref 100, valid, external
5413 2914 701 3741
195.66.248.34 from 195.66.248.34 (194.143.165.68)
Origin IGP, metric 43, localpref 100, valid, external
Community: 5459:1 5459:70
5413 2914 701 3741, (received-only)
195.66.248.34 from 195.66.248.34 (194.143.165.68)
Origin IGP, metric 43, localpref 100, valid, external
5378 3561 701 3741
195.66.248.18 from 195.66.248.18 (193.164.160.39)
Origin IGP, localpref 100, valid, external
Community: 5459:1 5459:70
5378 3561 701 3741, (received-only)
195.66.248.18 from 195.66.248.18 (193.164.160.39)
Origin IGP, localpref 100, valid, external
transit1>

I am sure Internet Solutions has their own infrastructure as their AS is directly behind the following ISPs (meaning peering directly with these ISPs)

AS3257 - TISCALI-BACKBONE (UK based)
AS2529 - DEMON-INTERNET (UK based)
AS702 AS701 - UUNET (UK & USA)

So , if you are a Sentech customer , then everyone on the internet needs to go via the IS backbone to get to your IP address and if IS is using Telkom infrastructure then we're stuffed all over AGAIN !!!! [V]

 

[ASF]

I may be wrong but as far as I am aware Sentech do actually own their transmission network for broadcasting TV signals etc. They do not however own their own IP connections internationally (so they are tier 2).

They buy IP services from IS who in turn buys cable services from Telkom (due to the law).

To be honest I am not overly excited by Sentech's supposed offering:
1. They are state owned.
2. Their experience is in broadcasting NOT ISP services.
3. No matter how you cut it Telkom is in the picture somewhere.
4. I have not seen or heard of a SLA linked to their products.

Their product will however cut Telkom out of the last mile which is better than nothing...