Some industry players are concerned one or more VANs may lodge a complaint against the proposed tariffs as these are widely perceived to be too high.
Despite the pricing discrepancy, DataPro CEO Douglas Reed urges market players not to appeal the tariff.
“Lodging a complaint against the tariff will just play into Telkom's hands and delay the process even further. Until this tariff is ratified, we will not be able to terminate inbound calls and the VOIP service providers will not be able to compete on an equal offering footing,” he says.
Another market player, who asked not to be named, agrees with Reed. He explains: “To Telkom, going to court would be an advantage. Just look at the recent cases with Telcordia and Internet Solutions – they were happy to spend five or six years in court and they would be happier to do it now with VOIP. You can't help but wonder if Telkom thinks its competitive advantage is in its ability and willingness to sustain long-term litigation.”
