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Taking on Telkom
- Thread starter rpm
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On that note, I remember reading articles about this before. This isn't that new and if i can recall, it was supposed to have been released 1st of September? Then again it could've been a dream...
Oh wait, so is this
Anaesthesia
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Guys... don't any of you feel sorry for cape town? This isn't gonna benefit them that much. Having to rely on power? Just doesn't make sense.
Brings me to another point... Different areas rely on different powerplants which may or may not be connected. That means that they're going to have to somehow connect them with whatever technology they using. That means laying down kilmometres of cables and setting up at virtually all the plants. Personally, I want this to work. Though I don't believe that they'll be able to get it physically ready by the specified date and I'm doubtful about them getting paperwork authorized in time.
but then again, ingorance is bliss. Yipee! Faster internet!
I'm no expert, but. I dont think that the network running through the power grid is reliant on powerstations etc. AFIAK it uses unused bandwidth on the grid. I remember this being discussed about 5 years ago. Also, if there is a power outage, unless you have an uber UPS or a generator its not like you'll be using your PC anyway. I dont think its a 220V eating network technology. I'm not sure what sort of power it takes to transmit and recieve data, but I dont think it's all that much.
True that it may not be reliant on powerstations. But all the lines have to be linked somehow. And to my knowledge all the electricity in south africa isn't linked. Example: if Durban and Cape Town were linked, they could use the reserves from the Tugela when there's a major outage in CT. I doubt they've linked places like upington with the rest of the work either. It's cheaper and more reliable to build a seperate station in the area. So, GTS will have to somehow link all the independent power stations/etc.
Most of our grids in SA is linked. It is just that too much electricity gets "lost" during transfer, disappear into the atmosphere/ground. Most of the electricity generated in Mpumalanga will drop from the powerlines if it were to be transmitted the 2000+ km to Cape Town. It simply is not cost effective for that.
A quick research on the net will show that not all areas will have access, even if they have electricity. A "rooter" must still be installed at "base stations" to link the PLC grid with the normal internet grid. And yes, whoever installs such a system will still have to make use of Telkom, even if only to be able to access international bandwith. Only Telkom have at present access to the SAT3 cable, and I have not heard of anyone waiting in line to gain access to SAT3 next year when Telkom's monopoly ends, either through the two landing stations at Mtunzini and Melkbos, or constructing their own landing station and buying access from other international partners in SAT3.
However, is there anyone in SA selling PLC "modems" - I have not been able to find one though I am interested in participating in the Durban trial? I read somewhere that the fastest one developed in Japan is like 200Mbit/s. Import business opportunity anyone?
A quick research on the net will show that not all areas will have access, even if they have electricity. A "rooter" must still be installed at "base stations" to link the PLC grid with the normal internet grid. And yes, whoever installs such a system will still have to make use of Telkom, even if only to be able to access international bandwith. Only Telkom have at present access to the SAT3 cable, and I have not heard of anyone waiting in line to gain access to SAT3 next year when Telkom's monopoly ends, either through the two landing stations at Mtunzini and Melkbos, or constructing their own landing station and buying access from other international partners in SAT3.
However, is there anyone in SA selling PLC "modems" - I have not been able to find one though I am interested in participating in the Durban trial? I read somewhere that the fastest one developed in Japan is like 200Mbit/s. Import business opportunity anyone?
klk
Member
A Ripple relay works via frequency injected into the power grid, Eskom is doing a country wide installation in the bigger municipal areas of consumption, the project is called DSM ....
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mcleodd
Well-Known Member
Adrian Maguire told me in the interview for this story that GTS's technology supplier and partner is Mitsubishi of Japan. FWIW.
IdlePhaedrus
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Could someone who is on the GTS trial post us their experience so far? The proof and the pudding and all....
No company will be allowed to do anything that will compromise Telkom as long as government is a major sharholder. GTS should rather use Mr Rwanda's money to take over Telkom. That will be the fastest route to broadband emancipation for South Africa.
morebroadband
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Mr Mcleodd, can you plse confirm that they(GTS) are aiming for 90 MB/s? I know it is possible, but as many people have pointed out, that sort of connection would chew up bandwidth very quickly, and we all know how expensive bandwidth is in our beloved country! Can you also enlighten us on how they plan to get their international bandwidth, because Telkom or Sentech will not be able to supply? Transnet seems to be better suited business, but still has government ownership, and that would cause conflict between all those government ministers who claim not to be shareholders in Telkom..!
Great Article by the way.
90 Mbit/s (or mbps - megabits per second) not 90 MB/s.
Approximately 9 MB/sec (megabytes per second) after protocol overhead and retransmissions due to line noise are taken into account.
i just wonder what this will cost us. In the UK the normal line speed is 8 MB/sec and it only costs 12 pounds a month. Its uncapped as well. I dont work in the IT indusrty, but i can not understand why it is so difficult for telkom to get inline with the 1st world countries. Maybe its just a ploy by them and the government to keep us 3rd world, that way they dont have 2 think too hard and always have an excuse 2 fall back on...
The shareholders want lots of money - it's just greed - that's all.
If there is no competition why charge 1000 customers R10 each when you can charge 100 customers R100 each and do away with 90% of your admin staff (and therfore admin salaries).
You make a fair bit more money that way.
Only problem with telecoms is it's essential in order to do business so it's like still getting your 1000 customers and charging them R100 instead of R10 each.
This is sad but true, it shows the lack of vision in this country. Making internet cheap will make us more compettitive in the long run as a country. Lots of small companies have gr8 ideas, but sadly, not the cash flow to support the huge internet costs, so in stead of growing and selling their ideas internationally, they dwindle. Look at Nedbank, with the free banking they offer small businesses for the first two years, this is what our government should be doing 4 small businesses too. Supporting them would mean bigger growth and more jobs. Now, they just line their own pockets.
Sorry if i seem militant, i am not, I just get so miffed out by these things and there is no one to complain to, so u lot have to put up with this
ldmelsa
Executive Member
Pic of modem?
Found this pic on the web. Just think, setup could be this easy!
http://www.tomsnetworking.de/typo3temp/pics/2058239885.jpg
Found this pic on the web. Just think, setup could be this easy!
http://www.tomsnetworking.de/typo3temp/pics/2058239885.jpg
morebroadband
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I have actually used a service like this in a hotel in France about 5 years ago. When I checked in, they just handed me a modem and instructed me to plug into any power outlet in the room (there were three and I tried them all), and then connect the computer to modem with Ethernet cable they provided. This was not a large hotel but rather a small one with 20 beds, slightly run down.
When prompted I had to type in the username and password they provided and I was connected at something like 8MB/s. I am sure this would have been a contended line and if all the guests had logged on at same time, might have been like a true Telkom connection!
This is an ingenious way to solve our last mile problem, and GTS / Andrian Maguire have been working on this for a good couple of years. He used to be with Grintek, but there was a management buyout and they went on their own. I wish them the best of luck and hopefully they can launch this sooner rather than later.
When prompted I had to type in the username and password they provided and I was connected at something like 8MB/s. I am sure this would have been a contended line and if all the guests had logged on at same time, might have been like a true Telkom connection!
This is an ingenious way to solve our last mile problem, and GTS / Andrian Maguire have been working on this for a good couple of years. He used to be with Grintek, but there was a management buyout and they went on their own. I wish them the best of luck and hopefully they can launch this sooner rather than later.
Telkomhater
Senior Member
This article is like a dream come true. The pessimist in me says, it will just take so loooooong to become reality. They give dates of 2007 but me thinks in 2009, we will see it happen.
This is sad but true, it shows the lack of vision in this country. Making internet cheap will make us more compettitive in the long run as a country. Lots of small companies have gr8 ideas, but sadly, not the cash flow to support the huge internet costs, so in stead of growing and selling their ideas internationally, they dwindle. Look at Nedbank, with the free banking they offer small businesses for the first two years, this is what our government should be doing 4 small businesses too. Supporting them would mean bigger growth and more jobs. Now, they just line their own pockets.
Sorry if i seem militant, i am not, I just get so miffed out by these things and there is no one to complain to, so u lot have to put up with this
Uhem !! Excuse me but Nedbank's Idea of helping small businesses is uhh how should I say rediculous have you watched their requirements ?? 5 Million turnover must be reached every year !!
Sorry but for any "small business" to reach a 5 Million turnover per year isn't so "small" in any case !!!!!