Telkom 100mbit Uncapped--throttled?

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AdeelM

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Hello,

I am moving into a home in Pretoria/Brooklyn that has fiber available. I went to the Telkom store at Menlyn to get the process started (though I backed out because I wanted more information first).

I started by saying I want the 100mbit uncapped. The Telkom sales guy told me that uncapped is a mistake. That the uncapped user is automatically seen as abusive, and gets throttled. Instead, he kept pushing on me the 100mbit capped at 200gb package, insisting that I'll never run out.

My family is a heavy data user. And I work from home and my work involves high volumes of data. That's why I'm opting for uncapped, and I think I could easily hit 200gb in a month.

My question to the community is: how much truth is in what he told me about uncapped at Telkom? Does it really get throttled? Or shaped in any way?

Thanks for your input.
 
If it is similar to ADSL from Telkom it would be throttled I won't be able to tell you what the FUP states as Telkom never really discloses this sort of thing.

Best bet will be to go to someone like Crystalweb and get a Premium uncapped package to ensure you don't get throttled or shaped in any way
 
Wow, thank you for your replies. I didn't realize I could use other ISPs on Telkom fiber. And from your posts there seem to be many available. I had no idea.

I don't even know where to get started on researching them. Any more input? Which is the best? Any truly uncapped? Any with upload speed the same as download?
 
dtj said:
Don't go with Telkom if you don't have to. Find out if you can sing up with Cipherwave on the Telkom fibre network instead. They have a 100Mbps uncapped package for R1,048 and the FUP states you can use up to 1TB and after that it will be throttled to 10Mbps uncapped unshaped for the rest of the month.

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/fibre/182642-uncapped-ftth-prices-afrihost-vs-telkom-vs-mweb.html

http://www.cipherwave.co.za/support/acceptable-use-policy/
Click to expand...

Does Cipherwave offer home users services, they kinda strike me as a corperate support only. For R1048 for 100mb is not bad at all I just wonder how much line rental is, or would you recon that is inclusive?
 
I think true uncapped on 100Mbps will set you back +-10k a month. The best deal I have seen so far for uncapped (shaped/throttled) fibre is as I mentioned from Cipherwave, not sure however if it will work on the Telkom fibre network but if you give them a call they should be able to tell you.
 
HartsockZA said:
Does Cipherwave offer home users services, they kinda strike me as a corperate support only. For R1048 for 100mb is not bad at all I just wonder how much line rental is, or would you recon that is inclusive?
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To be honest I have done little research on them, the first time I heard of them was in the MyBroadband article I mentioned above. The article is about FTTH packages so I assume they will do fibre to the home, when I have a second I will try find out.
 
Now, I'm sitting with either ISPAfrika or Afrihost or Iconnect. I applied for access via Iconect but already having second thoughts... All well, gotta wait and see, sitting on around 15 days and still no connection or install. Turn around time is a 1-2 months it would seem...
 
HartsockZA said:
Now, I'm sitting with either ISPAfrika or Afrihost or Iconnect. I applied for access via Iconect but already having second thoughts... All well, gotta wait and see, sitting on around 15 days and still no connection or install. Turn around time is a 1-2 months it would seem...
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Lol I have been waiting one month with webAfrica and I dont even have a telkom reference Number yet. This is a waiting game
 
Hades911 said:
Lol I have been waiting one month with webAfrica and I dont even have a telkom reference Number yet. This is a waiting game
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I find it helps a lot if you try either bribing the Telkom manager with a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue label or phoning everyday. Apparently there is a problem with the fibre connection to my box just waiting on the fibre splicing team to fix it.
 
Hello. I've heard about all these other companies. But what about mweb? How are they?

Also, are you certain that I can go with any ISP as long as I have fiber coverage through Telkom? Do I have to pay Telkom separately for something?
 
dtj said:
I think true uncapped on 100Mbps will set you back +-10k a month. The best deal I have seen so far for uncapped (shaped/throttled) fibre is as I mentioned from Cipherwave, not sure however if it will work on the Telkom fibre network but if you give them a call they should be able to tell you.
Click to expand...

That may be true on any Openserve Network. But not on the other fibre providers networks.
 
Hello. May I ask why everyone is discouraging me from Telkom, to begin with? I am new to SA.

Is it because they throttle, shape, etc?

And sounds like uncapped is not really uncapped. They all throttle after a certain amount of transfer? Unless you pay a true premium (10k+ rand/mo)?
 
1) We resent them. They've been a monopoly for a long time and that's been the single biggest limit to our local tech scene for the last 20 years.
2) They're a huge company and their service levels are rubbish, partly due to their monopoly. There are individually great people working there, but on the whole you're dealing with a monolith. Try querying a bill, or cancelling, or anything that you might need to do. Nightmare. 40 minutes on the phone sound like fun?
3) Their prices are higher than the competition, partly due to their monopoly.
4) 24 month contracts? Why?

Rather deal with a more focused, smaller company that gives you better prices and service. One that competes based on their product and service levels, not just because "they've always been there".

(Edit: when I refer to their monopoly, read "previous monopoly". The government protected them for ages. Finally we now have the market we should have had 20 years ago. Use it.)
 
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Zook, wow, that is very insightful. Thank you for filling me in. Appreciate it. And I understand Telkom better now.

Update: I called mweb, and their service and package seems way more attractive. They quoted me R3299/month for a 100mbit uncapped... she said the cap is at 2TB/mo, and after that they start throtteling. No shaping or throtteling otherwise (I'll take her word for it, but I'm not sure if I believe it). Free installation/router. 12 month contract but the contract can be canceled at any time without have to pay the remainder of the months, just have to pay the installation and router fee then. They said installation takes 45 days and they can go over the Telkom line, and I don't have to pay Telkom for anything.

Thoughts? Is Mweb decent?
 
AdeelM said:
Zook, wow, that is very insightful. Thank you for filling me in. Appreciate it. And I understand Telkom better now.

Update: I called mweb, and their service and package seems way more attractive. They quoted me R3299/month for a 100mbit uncapped... she said the cap is at 2TB/mo, and after that they start throtteling. No shaping or throtteling otherwise (I'll take her word for it, but I'm not sure if I believe it). Free installation/router. 12 month contract but the contract can be canceled at any time without have to pay the remainder of the months, just have to pay the installation and router fee then. They said installation takes 45 days and they can go over the Telkom line, and I don't have to pay Telkom for anything.

Thoughts? Is Mweb decent?
Click to expand...

As for personal experience Mweb is okay if you get a premium package, I don't like the FUP they apply as they give you x amount of data for 30 days.

For example if you have an uncapped with a FUP of 200GB, the total usage for the last 30 days added together if that adds to more than 200GB you are throttled.

Ps. This was my experience more than a year ago. Not sure if it is still the same
 
AdeelM said:
Zook, wow, that is very insightful. Thank you for filling me in. Appreciate it. And I understand Telkom better now.

Update: I called mweb, and their service and package seems way more attractive. They quoted me R3299/month for a 100mbit uncapped... she said the cap is at 2TB/mo, and after that they start throtteling. No shaping or throtteling otherwise (I'll take her word for it, but I'm not sure if I believe it). Free installation/router. 12 month contract but the contract can be canceled at any time without have to pay the remainder of the months, just have to pay the installation and router fee then. They said installation takes 45 days and they can go over the Telkom line, and I don't have to pay Telkom for anything.

Thoughts? Is Mweb decent?
Click to expand...

No. Their bandwidth is shaped, all of it. So if you see full line speed, it will only be for a small portion of the time. They also have the most absurd cancellation policies in the market.

As others have mentioned: Vox, Crystalweb, Afrihost, Axxess.
Just for interest sake:
Vox 100mbit uncapped - R2999/mo - Month to Month.
Afrihost Business 100mbit - R3499/mo - Month to Month.

I doubt whether you will be able to 'max out' your usage on those packages. Best is, if it doesn't suite your needs you can change within a month.
 
AdeelM said:
Zook, wow, that is very insightful. Thank you for filling me in. Appreciate it. And I understand Telkom better now.

Update: I called mweb, and their service and package seems way more attractive. They quoted me R3299/month for a 100mbit uncapped... she said the cap is at 2TB/mo, and after that they start throtteling. No shaping or throtteling otherwise (I'll take her word for it, but I'm not sure if I believe it). Free installation/router. 12 month contract but the contract can be canceled at any time without have to pay the remainder of the months, just have to pay the installation and router fee then. They said installation takes 45 days and they can go over the Telkom line, and I don't have to pay Telkom for anything.

Thoughts? Is Mweb decent?
Click to expand...

Wouldn't go with Mweb, they charge a premium that isn't worth it.
Rather go for Crystal Web if you want premium service that's worth it. On a budget, pick Axxess or Afrihost.
 
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