SMS for charity!!!

[daysleeper]

Okay here is an idea, I think telkom make a chunk of their money through people that don't know how to sms.

Lets have a project called "sms instead". Okay the just goes like this, people in business don't sms because they think the client will think they are cheap right?

So everybody is now encouraged to sms and get sms bundles. So you sms your dentist for an appointment. The encouraging factor is that the whole premise of this is based on once you get your phone bill, the difference or money you have saved can go to the Red Cross Children's Hostipal or if your children's education or failing that yourself .

The whole object of this would be to bring down landline bills because much time is wasted on the landline discussing mundane things like shopping and the weather. A sms cuts to the chase. And If an sms cannot contain all the information desired, then set up a meeting at the local mugg and bean and have a proper meeting like two pre technical revolution type people face to face.

Communication is a right!

 

[Spindrift]

Hi,

(Un)fortunately, telkom/saix bandwidth pricing is actually cheaper. I did some calculations a while back concerning transmitting various things over cellular network. Here's a summary (More detail can be found here
http://www.mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=28398)

Voice: R16.08 per MB
SMS: R2996.25 per MB
MMS: R2.73 per MB
GPRS: R2.00 per MB

At R60-100 a gig saix is way cheaper than cellular. I am not sure if RSA's ratio of fix-line:wireless/cellular data transmission is higher than other countries. Maybe we should look into that because it'll tell us whether Telkom's pricing is exorbitant or the entire telecom sector's pricing is exorbitant.

 

[daysleeper]

Public Ignorance!

The thing is that at myadsl the formites here are aware of the situation, however this is a small part of the population. People don't even think twice before lifting the phone.

Lets look at the scale of this. South african generally spend more than they earn, consumer spending is through the roof. Thats why SARS overshot there forecasts. However as this is good for the economy in general, more sales more jobs, I think that the problem is that this spending has been done on credit. So the man in the street earning 20K per month sends 25K. This is the South African mentality.

For example look at Edgars, the clothes are very good quality, but be that as it may, rather expensive. To enduce customers, they have credit options. This makes it seem like a better deal, when actually you get less value for money.

Maybe this is also because so many people have been without things in the past, now they have money and want everything at the same time.

Anyway before i drift off again!, People just dial, and connect and don't think of the costs. Its like those clients that you service who don't ask for quotes, they just want it done, where cost is no problem.

This is where telkom may not understand MyADSL's point. We moan about prices and continue to pay them. At work, we say, the first week of the month we work for SARS, the 2nd for Telkom, the third for the wife.

So the sms idea, is more to raise awareness than anything else.

Like the corsa add with the car guards!