SNO investors sign agreement

[AdLo]

.

 

[scatlett]

Brilliant!

 

[antowan]

It is good, but even when licensed, the SNO will not be enough. ICASA will need to get tough and there needs to be more players in the market than just two...

It is good, but not enough...

Icing sugar does not a cake make...

 

[ebis]

Duopoly or not... this is indeed brilliant!!!
Worst case scenario... we'll have two "Telkom" co's.
Best case scenario... a "BIT" (excuse the pun) of competition that may lower telecoms slightly. It's better than nothing methinks.

But as you pointed out Antowan, ICASA (Poison Ivy permitting) will need to add more players for increased REAL competition.

 

[kaspaas]

At the speed things are going, it might take a few years or so for the lisence to be issued.

I won't be surprised it Telkom runs to court a few times on "unfair advantages" given to the SNO etc etc

Each court run taking a few months with the appeals taking a year or so...

I'm not very optimistic about the SNO routing its first call within a few months.

 

[scatlett]

I would hate to be on the call centre of the SNO when it is operational. Can you imagine the amount of orders they are going to get in the first month?

The techies are going to have to get all the sleep they can now!

 

[dominic]

At the speed things are going, it might take a few years or so for the lisence to be issued.

I won't be surprised it Telkom runs to court a few times on "unfair advantages" given to the SNO etc etc

Each court run taking a few months with the appeals taking a year or so...

I'm not very optimistic about the SNO routing its first call within a few months.

i think a few months would be a miracle - i would say at the very least a year

this is an important step, but

Icasa is anticipated to engage the SNO in determining the terms of the licence.

how long is that going to take? the proposed terms and conditions will have to be negotiated, then published for public comment and submissions, quite probably oral hearings, then ICASA finalises the licence and sends it on to the minister for signature...imho 6 months optimistically

and does anyone know what is happening with the DTI intervention?

 

[fergus]

Lemme guess. The SNO licensing is now... 'immenent'???

 

[TheflyOfCapeTown]

Yeah... "within weeks...."

 

[dominic]

Lemme guess. The SNO licensing is now... 'immenent'???

i have it on outstanding authority that the licensing of the SNO is now officially "post-imminent"

According to the DoC "post-imminence "is the infinitely imponderable moment between imminence and realisation. Top Ministry policy guru Prof Smokey Upmiass pointed out that the licensing had reached pending status in November 2002 prior to graduating through "almost", "nearly there" and "oh so close" before attaining imminence early in 2005. An update was clearly indicated.

maybe we should reincarnate the "in my lifetime" chant

 

[fergus]

As long as they don't say its going to happen 'just now' or 'now now'. If that happens we're all stuffed!

 

[bwana]

It is good, but even when licensed, the SNO will not be enough. ICASA will need to get tough and there needs to be more players in the market than just two...

I agree - the key word is 'AND'. An either/or situation will just wont cut it.

 

[Highflyer_GP]

personally i'm a bit more optimistic about the SNO if eskom are still shareholders. they should be the example to follow, not telkom. we have among the cheapest electricity in the world, yet eskom is a monopoly as well. let's hope something good happens fast...

 

[scatlett]

Eskom is regulated as well

 

[snoopy_inc]

this is a major step.

They have finally signed!!!!!

have a feeling that this is what ICASA has been waiting for.

only a feeling though

 

[kaspaas]

MONEYWEB: Have you been following the debate and discourse over ADSL?
KARL SOCIKWA: Oh, very closely.
MONEYWEB: Is there opportunity for you?
KARL SOCIKWA: Tremendous opportunity.

I would not get excited about these remarks at all.

It could mean "great way to enter the market by providing affordable ADSL"

Or it could mean "Great way to make enourmous profits - by being Telkom2"

 

[RoosTa]

Worst case scenario... we'll have two "Telkom" co's.

Pricing might not change much, but at least service levels will. Telkom will start feeling the pressure if SNO delivers good service. There is one good thing though; We'll be able to pick who's going to screw us.

I will change to SNO because they are not Telkom. IMO if the SNO wants to gain market share in a short time space, they must make residential local area calls free.

 

[doobiwan]

Looking at Telco's in other countries, there's a lot of ways the SNO can cut in on Telkom.

Hell, a blind monkey could see a a couple dozen ways of undercutting Tk.

Thing is it's about execution. Look at those who have failed to impress: Sentech, iBurst etc. They all had fantastic opportunities to capture large chunks of the market, but they squandered it chasing pennies.

 

[mccrack]

Agreed,

I will switch to the SNO simply because they are not Telkom

 

[telkomsuig]

I doubt the SNO will have too much impact. Sa will still be a highly regulated market. The SNO and Telkom will have exactly the same relationship as MTN and Vodacom. The only wat ADSL will ever become competitive is if ICASA forces Telkom to make the local loop available to anyone willing and able to provide internet services.