Telkom: Fixed line numbers continue to dwindle

[Shake&Bake]

If the trend is more towards ADSL lines it is probably because data is becoming more important than voice.

However, the growth in ADSL subscriptions could actually be under threat as we speak.

As a person who has never had an ADSL line, I find no reason why I should get it when there are other options through which I can get broadband. The increase in ADSL lines was probably because ADSL was considered as the fastest and most steady type of Internet connection a few months ago. However, a lot has changed since a few months ago. There are other ways of connecting securely with high speeds.

If Telkom does not bring its ADSL line subscriptions down soon, they will not be getting new customers. Right now they are relying on companies like Mweb and axxcess to bring in more subscriptions for them with their lower per gig offerings. It is not Telkom's offerings that are bringing in more customers.

People are basically forced to pay R130/mth + to Telkom so that they can get a service from other companies.

+100

I was one of those people, when I joined this forum that was ADSL dependent, now I really can't see myself doing it anymore.
For the last 18months or more I've totally gone off subsidising Telkom and only been reliant on 3G or Edge and found it to be no hassle at all.

Smartphones are making for a trend that moves people away from fixed line connectivity.
I found myself spending less time at home and on my PC to have ADSL - even now with the uncapped revolution, I still don't find a need for it.

A friend of mine has been asking me for a while for the best option on DSL for his home and it's basically MWEB right - simplest and cheapest.
Though he'd honestly never have a use for all of that data - he'd never download, unless he came across torrents and most of his data consumption would be from youtube.
But even for him, whom is not the most computer or telecoms literate, he cannot fathom having to pay for DSL and the analogue rental.
And honestly, +R400 is too much for him, even with Cybersmart as a capped option.
So his on his BB and doing his thing, but because his one of the people that find the entry cost into DSL to be too high, his kids don't have a steady connection at home, which is sad.

 

[Mr.Jax]

This reminds me of a Telkom billboard I saw yesterday next to the highway, while traveling back home:

"Telkom would like to remind you to exersize extreme caution when you see orange"...

Two office buildings further you find Orange buildings with the name "Neotel" on it.

I kid you not!

I think that they are feeling the pinch from Neotel ?

 

[Bengalaas]

With such a decrease in fixed lines, one would think that they would try to improve their services for the customers they have left.
But having had problems with my ADSL line from April this year, and each time just receiving an SMS saying "service has been restored. Do not reply to this SMS" without getting a phone call to confirm whether my service is actually working.
HelloPeter will not work, off-course they don't care what people say, you can't really use anyone else for ADSL line rental... I have had 5 different cases now, still no luck to fix my line, it still keeps on dropping many times a day (making gaming impossible!); paying all this money for a 4Mbit line and still they cannot produce a service with high customer-satisfaction... I am not impressed and looking for other solutions which I will be able to afford.

 

[ic]

The only positive sign for Telkom is the fact that the number of lost subscribers each months is lower than what it was six months ago.

Going back 6 months almost coincides with MWEB's launch of uncapped ADSL, as well as the competition amongst ADSL ISPs that followed.

Is it possible that MWEB's uncapped injected life back into Telkodemonopolies' ADSL and narrowed the fixed line hostages gap?

This means the fixed line penetration rate in the country declined from 8.9% one year ago to the current 8.5% - an overall decline of 4.5%.

Is that 4.5% correct

 

[phoneJunky]

Is that 4.5% correct

Yes, it is not based on the 8.9% and 8.5% but the decline of the overall numbers. The 8.9% and 8.5%is just that the overall penetration went form 8.9% to 8.5%. The 4.5% is total last year minus total this year divided by total last year

 

[BGE]

If Telkom want their ADSL numbers to skyrocket they need to offer naked ADSL... the trend of people cancelling there fixed lines will continue, and as long as ADSL remains uncompetitively priced, the public will look at the other options, VC, MTN, CellC and Iburst... I just can't believe that they(Telkom) are so blind... people like ADSL, but don't like paying R 150+ for a fixed line, when they have already got a cell phone! As long as voice and ADSL are bundle Telkom's fixed line market share will continue to decline!

 

[BGE]

Actually even if Telkom lose 50% of their fixed line customers... they'll still have 100% market share...

 

[antowan]

This is no surprise judging by the refusal of Telkom to restore broken fixed line connections (in some areas) and rather just switching customers over to their wireless phone offerings... They are abandoning fixed line in areas that were quite happy with fixed line. Be it theft of infrastructure or whatever crazy reason this is bad news for South Africans because we will be suckling on the back tit of progress again because even though wireless is all happy and go lucky there are some services like gaming that just won't operate as lekker as they do on a fixed line connection... TIA... TIA...

Again we are expected to get some of the service instead of all of the service.

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS :::: IT IS TIME WE OPEN THE FIXED LINE MARKET TO AS MANY COMPANIES WILLING TO RISK IT AS POSSIBLE!!!

TELKOM IS NOT DOING ITS JOB!!! WAKE UP!!!

:wtf:

 

[Kabal]

My take on this is as follows , more people are not happy paying the telkom tax , so they drop it and get a prepaid cell phone. What they used to pay telkom each month for line rental they can now spend of airtime. People are cancelling their land lines for this reason. Also remember that those who already have adsl , and there are a few , just move from ISP to ISP , very few will suddenly go mobile, especially with uncapped possible now. So the uptake will be slow. But to loose 100K users that is a lot of money gone... I wonder is telkom shareholder might be looking into moving their money into mweb?

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

This reminds me of a Telkom billboard I saw yesterday next to the highway, while traveling back home:

"Telkom would like to remind you to exersize extreme caution when you see orange"...

Two office buildings further you find Orange buildings with the name "Neotel" on it.

I kid you not!

I think that they are feeling the pinch from Neotel ?

But I also believe that Telkom is getting them back (consumers that left). I for one went crawling back to Telkom from Neotel.

 

[ingeon]

This is no surprise judging by the refusal of Telkom to restore broken fixed line connections (in some areas) and rather just switching customers over to their wireless phone offerings... They are abandoning fixed line in areas that were quite happy with fixed line. Be it theft of infrastructure or whatever crazy reason this is bad news for South Africans because we will be suckling on the back tit of progress again because even though wireless is all happy and go lucky there are some services like gaming that just won't operate as lekker as they do on a fixed line connection... TIA... TIA...

Again we are expected to get some of the service instead of all of the service.

MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS :::: IT IS TIME WE OPEN THE FIXED LINE MARKET TO AS MANY COMPANIES WILLING TO RISK IT AS POSSIBLE!!!

TELKOM IS NOT DOING ITS JOB!!! WAKE UP!!!

:wtf:

I agree

 

[Mapleton]

What's the chances the communications minister has even heard of MyBB? Heck does he even know what ADSL stands for?

 

[TheGuy]

My take on this is as follows , more people are not happy paying the telkom tax , so they drop it and get a prepaid cell phone. What they used to pay telkom each month for line rental they can now spend of airtime. People are cancelling their land lines for this reason. Also remember that those who already have adsl , and there are a few , just move from ISP to ISP , very few will suddenly go mobile, especially with uncapped possible now. So the uptake will be slow. But to loose 100K users that is a lot of money gone... I wonder is telkom shareholder might be looking into moving their money into mweb?

I sold my few shares I had in Telkom as they just keep ****ing around I thought with Eta they might make a big difference but another half arsed attempt.

 

[brendonml]

Not surprising, the baby boom generation and plus, who cant double click a mouse continue to die off. And most new adsl subscibers come from the original voice line subscribers, less scary jump going from R140 p/m to R300 p/m than from RO to R300 p/m (Telkom side excl data) . In fact, the whole economy and tax collections is/are built around this age bracket and white. Going to be a big shock, when this comes to an end. Would be refreshing to see this bracket of people actually put their hands up and say enough is enough, but unfortunately they cant use the internet to voice their concerns and the people in charge cant either, so sigh......will just have to wait for the bomb to drop.

 

[pkid]

I reckon a lot of it is bad service. My line broke and I logged a call. They then told me it was working when it wasn't. Then they didn't have any ADSL ports at my exchange. I simply cancelled my line and went for the CellC data special. Never looked back...