Telkom launches 'R 250-00 a year' service

[rpm]

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/Telecoms/926.html

 

[GavinMannion]

Do you think we can apply for ADSL on top off this?

It might be an easy way to get around the R130 monthly line rental

 

[milomak]

prepaid = no adsl afaik

 

[Abe]

This is really good.

 

[rpm]

This is an interesting move by Telkom. Apart from the R 250-00 (not that it is negligible) it is basically the same model as most cellular companies…low barrier of entry but high call rates. It will be interesting to see if this strategy succeeds in a fixed line environment.

 

[dam]

Is the 50 cent surcharge per call or per minute? We have two lines at home that we dont use much, we could save about 2K a year if that charge is per call.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Would love to see prepaid ADSL...

 

[VQuest]

Is the 50 cent surcharge per call or per minute? We have two lines at home that we dont use much, we could save about 2K a year if that charge is per call.

I believe it's per call, but with Telkom, you never know.

 

[Syndyre]

This is an interesting move by Telkom. Apart from the R 250-00 (not that it is negligible) it is basically the same model as most cellular companies…low barrier of entry but high call rates. It will be interesting to see if this strategy succeeds in a fixed line environment.

It's not too bad if you consider it includes installation and a free phone, cheaper than a cellphone as a barrier to entry. Only R120 a year thereafter. What would be really interesting though is if they introduced some sort of "Closer voucher" allowing you access to free mins etc. on a prepaid basis. I think Telkom are desperately trying to promote on-net calls, if you look at this new offering and the Closer plans they're both trying to achieve that.

 

[ajax]

I believe it's per call, but with Telkom, you never know.

It is per call, yes.

This is truly a great offering from Telkom. If you only make a couple of hundred rands worth of calls per month on the landline, then it is a lot cheaper to get this deal than a normal line (where the rental is now R111 per month). Prepaidfone call rates are on the average 20 to 30% more expensive than post paid, so you really have to make several hundred rands worth of calls to break even with the normal analog line rental.

 

[Napalm]

BUt this still doesn't mean you can have ADSL line on this prepaid setup ???

 

[rsachoc]

This is an excellent deal for people who dont use their phone much.

 

[Napalm]

I still think its stupid that people cannot have ADSL on prepaid. I mean u can pay your normal line rental via this R250 per year thingy. Telkom can simply send you a fixed bill for the ADSL line rental . Your calls run on the prepaid if u want ot make calls ANd also. Most of the ISP's now do the ADSL rental part and the Capping. So i don't see a reason.

 

[ic]

Customers will pay a 50c surcharge on all outgoing calls in addition to the current PrepaidFone call rates.

Korff says that PrepaidFone customers are now able to recharge their services either telephonically or online at no extra charge.

so this is still considerably more expensive than ordinary dialup - even when using the non-WogaWoga pre-paid-phone?

“Our PrepaidFone Waya-Waya service forms part of the Company’s numerous innovative efforts to bring our services to the doorstep of our customers by accelerating access and increasing our value proposition to the customer,” says Erna Korff, Acting Managing Executive for Retail Marketing.

just a bunch of useless marketing-twoddle-forked-tongue-speak IMO.

The only thing innovative about Telkodemonopolies, is how the beast manages to continue to be the de facto wired fixed line monopoly in SA and charge exorbitant rates with guavamint approval, which is probably not exactly innovative - exploitative comes to mind.

How many millions of both poor and well-off citizens of SA even have access to a pre-paid-phone? - most don't even have Telkodemonopolies lines in their areas, so I fail to see how this might accelerate access that actually doesn't exist to start with.

As for the value proposition, most citizens of SA, both poor and well-off, have a cellery phone, I suggest rather using a GPRS data bundle to get to Telkodemonopolies' website and telling the beast to WogaWoga its pre-paid-phone line where the sun doesn't shine.

 

[Moederloos]

What about calls TO this service?
Would my free offpeak calls still be free?

If so, great. My mom has no Telkom phone, but a cell. So calls to her are expensive.
At R250 per year, it would be worth me paying for her phone to save costs overall.

 

[Glordit]

WOW just another way for telkom to rip you off...

 

[bekdik]

One looks at this and says: "Waya-Waya do they bother?"

 

[Syndyre]

What about calls TO this service?
Would my free offpeak calls still be free?

Definitely, a Telkom number is a Telkom number, it doesn't matter how the other customer pays for the line.e

 

[kaspaas]

Telkom going for the kill even before Neotel gets of the ground.

 

[rpm]

It's not too bad if you consider it includes installation and a free phone, cheaper than a cellphone as a barrier to entry. Only R120 a year thereafter. What would be really interesting though is if they introduced some sort of "Closer voucher" allowing you access to free mins etc. on a prepaid basis. I think Telkom are desperately trying to promote on-net calls, if you look at this new offering and the Closer plans they're both trying to achieve that.

Hi Syndyre

You are of course correct. This is definitely an affordable way for people to gain access to basic telephony services…

It will be interesting if they throw in a basic Closer package…maybe 20 minutes on on-net calls per month. Or something like Cell C…buy R 10-00 and get 20 on-net minutes free over weekends…