South Africa "drops" prices

[rpm]

From http://www.dslprime.com/News_Articles/news_articles.htm

"Still $40 for 192K as Ngcaba takes Whitacre size earnings
Andile Ngcaba, recently Director-General of the Department of Communications, has emerged with a holding worth over $100M in Telkom. Smuts Ngonyama of the ANC also is receiving shares. Telkom reports a major jump in profits and a doubling of the dividend - as well as some of the highest broadband prices in any advanced nation. A black, green and yellow flag long flew over my desk, but this long time supporter of the ANC has to wonder if Telkom is doing its share for African development. Even Sizwe Nxasana, retiring chief executive of Telkom, said the group regularly came under fire about the cost of its data services, Leo Kok reports. It's $60 for a capped 512K service.
Telkom controls access to the Africa One fiber, setting prices for independent ISPs prohibitively high. The result is a country with 5M phone lines, over 3M computers, and only 67,000 broadband subscribers. Mother Africa deserves better."

 

[Gerry]

the idea here is that your opinion will not count and that government owns 40% of telkom. point of no return. the less you toi-toi, the more you receive - just be a obedient voter and the magic (shortlived) will happen through some super duper french german black south african consortium financed by the scots who got there money from spain.

 

[Sneeky]

I dunno, but its like this broederbond all over again with a tan, the only difference being they do it openly. Affectionately think of it as a form of government sanctioned extortion.

 

[veethree]

$40 for 192K? That would actually be quite nice - but considering we pay for line rental and an ISP, the cost is closer to $75.

 

[Razer0]

eish its more than that: R270+R87+R379(10gig axxess) = R736 / 6.83 = $107

That article was on the 8th of June too, so it should actually be more (line rental = 320)

 

[Turtle]

just be a obedient voter and the magic (shortlived) will happen through some super duper french german black south african consortium financed by the scots who got there money from spain.

Keep in mind that Andile Ngcaba is not just any old well-connected individual - IIRC, he actually personally basically drafted the regulations that gave Telkom their monopoly!