Telkom launches 'R 250-00 a year' service

[Syndyre]

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…

Hi rpm

Would be very interesting and would also probably allow them to get more lines installed before Neotel starts offering services, giving them a bit of more an advantage, not that they really need one anyway. Incidentally, does anyone know if there are any plans for fixed line number portability?

Have Telkom expressly said this couldn't be used for ADSL? I doubt it could be but now that you can get ADSL lines direct from the ISPs you never know.

 

[gsolutions]

The package sounds great for low usage clients, however i do not understand wht it is necessary to have 10's of different packages for different services?

Have good pricing accross the board and then there will be no need to confuse consumers with options that end up catching them out when they want to upgrade services.

line rental = xxx
calls = xxx
adsl 384 = xxx
adsl 512 = xxx
etc etc

and have a discount theshold for high volume clients...

you spend more than R1000 you get x percent discount.

It would be simpler to manage, install and support

 

[mancombseepgood]

So it's for the poorer folk who won't make many calls...

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

i.e. emergencies only.

I just don't get this pay upfront=pay more philosophy (well, I do get it, but I don't agree with it).

 

[Napalm]

Making the poor people , even more poor.

50c surcharge , to the normal fee of a call on every call. <<----- lol

So basically they are now targeting the poor people, to milk them too

Only shows us. Telkom has no limitations.....

 

[kilo39]

PrepaidFone call rates are as follows: 46 cents per minute (including VAT) during local standard time, 21cents per minute (including VAT) for local callmore time, with a 50cents (including VAT) surcharge levied on all outgoing calls.

What happened to the 80c odd call connect charge (how much is it now anyway?)

They were mandated to bring cheap telephony to the masses (why hasn't this happened?)

They should be giving these phones and installation for free.

 

[Shake&Bake]

Making the poor people , even more poor.

50c surcharge , to the normal fee of a call on every call. <<----- lol

So basically they are now targeting the poor people, to milk them too

Only shows us. Telkom has no limitations.....

True hey the 50c surcharge is a bit high. Looking at the volumes they would be attracting they would be making up for the loss in rental this way.

One day soon..... -----------> NeoTel.
/restless

 

[mancombseepgood]

Exactly... you save R1000 pa on rental over postpaid and pay 50c per call more... it is VERY easy to make up that grand... an average of 5.5 calls a day will do it...

What are prepaid calls per min these days?

 

[willemvdm]

We make like 5.5 calls per month, so this would be a very good deal for me. D.m, I got ADSL.

 

[VQuest]

This would also save me a fortune over the year. I don't usually spend more than R10.00 on calls for the month.

 

[Cube]

"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"

ROFLOL!!!

 

[Abe]

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.

From a data perspective, it a load of hogwash but from a voice point of view it's really good. R250 for the first year and R120 for following years. My domestic is calling Telkom tomorrow for a phone at her house. She just needs a phone to get hold of the house and for emergencies.

 

[Syndyre]

This could also backfire on Telkom, if people already have a standard phone line ADSL is effectively cheaper as you're paying line rental already. Now that this is available it may effectively increase the cost of having ADSL for these people, causing them to switch to alternatives like HSDPA etc. Of course that's a small market relative to the one they're trying to attract.

 

[AirWolf]

The service enables new customers to pay R250 which buys line installation, one year’s rental (R120.00), R10 airtime and a telephone instrument.

A whole R10 free, gee thanks

It is kind of a good offer for voice only, but they are really trying to tie up the cheaper end of the market with the 1 year contract deals to snuff out any kind of competitive effort from Neotel (if and when it does materialise).

 

[Syndyre]

A whole R10 free, gee thanks

It is kind of a good offer for voice only, but they are really trying to tie up the cheaper end of the market with the 1 year contract deals to snuff out any kind of competitive effort from Neotel (if and when it does materialise).

Well at R250 total its not much of a contractual obligation.

 

[risingtide]

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

I really don't know why they/we call it an ADSL line rental and not an ADSL equipment rental. This would resolve much of the confusion and arguments. As I see it, we don't pay rental for the line twice, we pay for the line and then the DSLAM and whatever else in needed at the exchange.

 

[Vice]

The package sounds great for low usage clients, however i do not understand wht it is necessary to have 10's of different packages for different services?

Have good pricing accross the board and then there will be no need to confuse consumers with options that end up catching them out when they want to upgrade services.

line rental = xxx
calls = xxx
adsl 384 = xxx
adsl 512 = xxx
etc etc

and have a discount theshold for high volume clients...

you spend more than R1000 you get x percent discount.

It would be simpler to manage, install and support

I agree with you. I have become a skeptic when doing business in South Africa because these 'great deals' are actually meant to catch people unawares. What began as a good deal can cost you dearly in the end. It's better to get all facts, assess your situation and then make a decision.

 

[w1z4rd]

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

sis

 

[redheadfan]

I'm starting a complaint with Telkom today because I want ADSL on a prepaid line.

R 111 line rental + R 30 call block plus = R 141 times 12 = R 1,692 per year POTS vs
R 120 per year prepaid.
R 1,572 difference.

I had ADSL on a prepaid line in the UK over 5 years ago - so its most certainly technically possible.

If Telkom can't resolve this I will take it to the Competition Commission. (maybe ICASA as well but I think this falls squarely into the realm of the Competition Commission).

 

[willemvdm]

Ok, so I told a friend of mine about this, who applied by calling a 0800 number that 10219 gave him. So they say they will phone back and we all know what that mean. Any one actually manage to get this service to work. Will suggest to him to go to Telkom shop to sort it out.

 

[ajax]

Mine works. You must call the prepaidfone call centre on 0800 115 357. To get it activated you must have at least R140 in prepaidfone vouchers ready (you can't buy R120) to get Waya-Waya activated.

I was just wondering, what if one has a prepaid line and apply through an ISP for ADSL and not mention the fact that the analog line is prepaid?