Telkom - No Service - Advice PLEASE!!

[JP_Jordaan]

Hi everyone!

Right of the bat I want to appologise for a possible duplicate post as well as a long read.

So I will firstly start with my location, I live in Rustenburg, NW. More spesifically a new developing area (5 - 6 years old). Since January this year a new townhouse complex has been built with approx 60 units (number 5 including the complex I live in), a new shopping mall is opening end October less than 1km from my house as well as a newly build church 400m from my house. So to sum up in a 1 km radius of my house, things are booming.

Now I work for one of the mining companies in the area doing IT support, development, etc and part of my Support task entails support over weekends, monitoring etc. This requires connecting to the work network etc. Apart from my work related requirements, I am also a regular online gamer, or try to be as far as my 3G allows but its creating more frustration due to lag than joy. That after a booster arial was installed. So my only other alternative is an ADSL line.

On the 31st January this year I contacted the Telkom call centre and spoke to Millie. She took my order for a line and gave me a reference number. She said there was no lines available but I need to phone again a week later and ask for the progress. I did as instructed this time however I was met with a totally different story. Now there is no infrastructure available at all, not even normal lines. So my question, when will they have available. The answer, maybe in the new finacial year starting end April it will be planned for. So I left iy there. This week I phone to hear if it was planned for, the answer, maybe next year after April....

Am I then correct in assuming for the next year atleast an entire shopping mall will be without lines, as well as any other residents requiring lines?

I have raised complaints at their complaints department and 4 weeks later haven't heard a word. I've gone to "TotUDiens" at Beeld and lodged a complaint there, they are being ignored. I have even lodged a complaint at ICASA and 2 on Hellopeter. Since my last Hellopeter complaint approx 60 more complaints were lodged. The time frame we are talking about here, 2 days.... In total Telkom has +-3400 complaints on Hellopeter vs 266 compliments.

So I ask you, no I beg you, please help me? What can I do, who can help me, where can I go next?

 

[MickeyD]

http://www.telkom.co.za/minisites/utilities/zone.html

or

http://business.telkom.co.za/enterprise/voice-services/line-rental/pdc/contact-us.html

 

[InTheCube]

It's a tough one. Telkom won't roll out new infrastructure unless there is a business case for it. With regards to telephone lines and ADSL, business cases are driven by demand. The more users who want the service, the more likely Telkom is to install. But even when a business case has been identified, it can take months or even years before Telkom actually start installing the infrastructure.

Remember, there is a ton of work (paper, as well as physical) that needs to be done by Telkom, before you can get lines. Some of them include:

1. environmental impact assessments
2. applications for wayleaves to dig up roads and put up poles, in order to lay new cables
3. drawing up and eveluating a business case
4. drawing up a business plan
5. finding contractors to do the work, which might involve tenders (probably not though)
6. digging up of roads and pavements
7. planting of telephone poles
8. laying and drawing of cable

Just number 1 and 2 could take months for the paperwork to be approved by the local municipality / government. So basically, you have no hope of getting an ADSL line any time soon.

On the plus side, if/when Telkom do eventually decide to install infrastructure, it will be brand spanking new, and will probably support the highest ADSL speeds at the time (currently 10mbps, rumoured to jump to 20-40mbps in the coming years).

What I suggest is to get all your friends, colleagues, IT people at neighbouring businesses, residential neighbours and other businesses in the area (basically ANYONE you can get hold of) to phone Telkom and apply for telephone and ADSL services.