Telkom plans to open its exchanges to ISPs

MickeyD said:
Can you provide actual numbers or is it based on your perception and that of a few members here?
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Does Telkom even know? I know of enough people who were told that certain speeds are available, but then after installation they're looking at way way less. Combine that with a multitude of systems that are all producing conflicting results, making a call to 10210 for service enquiries fairly worthless where they put you on hold as they check system after system and finally give an incorrect answer.

I'm currently in an area that's marked as VDSL Available... but says max 2 mbps... while paying for 4 mbps... and receiving 10mbps.

At this point I have as much trust in the numbers than Johand pulls from his backside vs any stats Telkom has.
 
It is quite simple they want to out source the copper part and keep the exchanges .
 
As far as I am aware the last published numbers were an Local Loop Length of 5.5 km and the MSAN deployment was meant to shorten that to 2 km - but we don't know how far that got because Telkom started avoiding those numbers in their annual reports. I can only assume that if they don't report that number to shareholders (it was supposed to be billions invested) that It did not go very far?

Anyway - I moved to Welgelegen in Cape Town and very obviously Telkom has given that area (Welgelegen/Panorama/Monte Vista) the finger because nothing faster than 4Mps even though our area is surrounded by VDSL and FTTH. Technician told me my exchange (Bothasig) is VDSL enabled but my loop length is over 6 km. No plan for deployment of MSAN (or similar) raised.
 
Too little too late. Lots of communities are already campaigning for fibre.
 
MickeyD said:
Can you provide actual numbers or is it based on your perception and that of a few members here?
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I am actually searching for numbers like crazy at the moment. I have been through the annual reports but information is thin.

2006 the report claims that 60% is below 2.5km (I don't trust that figure though)... in 2011 they don't give figures but they state one of the issues is that the local loop is too long and must be shortened.

It is quite funny that the figures on something so fundamental is not available to investors - it is almost fundamental to valuing the potential of the company. Somehow they say a lot about the number of ports served by MSAN which is not that meaningful without the distance figures.
 
Johand said:
I am actually searching for numbers like crazy at the moment. I have been through the annual reports but information is thin.

2006 the report claims that 60% is below 2.5km (I don't trust that figure though)... in 2011 they don't give figures but they state one of the issues is that the local loop is too long and must be shortened.

It is quite funny that the figures on something so fundamental is not available to investors - it is almost fundamental to valuing the potential of the company. Somehow they say a lot about the number of ports served by MSAN which is not that meaningful without the distance figures.
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Unless somebody from within the company gives you the numbers, you won't find it anywhere.

The biggest problem is not always availability but rather price. Distance is always an issue as is the quality of the network connection.

Now we get back to this article and Telkom's possible reasons for it...

Is it a precursor to full LLU? Possibly.

Is it to help to determine a base cost for facilities leasing? Very possible.

Is it a pilot for the outsourcing of it copper access network? Again very possible as it has been rumored for some time that it is being linked to Telkom's plan to reduce staff. However the deployment of MSANs and ISAMs on street corners complicates matters somewhat as where would the POP be?

This all leads to your question about the slowing down of the MSAN deployment...

With the uncertainty of the future of the copper access network why should they keep pumping capital into it? Furthermore some regions rushed into the project a bit too hastily and need to go back and fix up what they skipped in order to meet their performance targets. WC is one of those!
 
Hopefully one of the benefits of this will be that ISP's are allowed to pull fibre though the Telkom trunking already in the ground (wishful thinking but anyway). In our area all the copper is already underground, so it will be a lot cheaper to just replace that with fibre running to the exchange, which already has a fibre backbone. Instant FTTH for a fraction of the cost.
 
furpile said:
Hopefully one of the benefits of this will be that ISP's are allowed to pull fibre though the Telkom trunking already in the ground (wishful thinking but anyway). In our area all the copper is already underground, so it will be a lot cheaper to just replace that with fibre running to the exchange, which already has a fibre backbone. Instant FTTH for a fraction of the cost.
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Copper and fibre do not have to be in separate ducts due to electromagnetic interference.
 
MWEB CEO Derek Hershaw said they have not heard anything from Telkom
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Telkom sent him the email, Mweb were having DNS issues and their lines were down :p
 
MickZA said:
Well there's always i3 Fibre who were promoting installing FTTH through the sewers in Bournemouth UK :)

... unfortunately it was eventually kicked into touch - http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/4345-fibre-through-sewer-halts-in-bournemouth.html
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http://www.linkafrica.co.za/technology/

FOCUS™ is a patented fibre optic cable technology for deployment in underground municipal service networks and is significantly faster than conventional methods for deploying fibre.

Link Africa is the exclusive South Africa Patent holder for FOCUS™ – a patented technology that deploys FON in existing underground municipal service networks.

FOCUS™ has been extensively trialed in eThekwini Municipality (Durban). The trials have been a resounding success, which has resulted in eThekwini Municipality declaring sewer based FON deployment as its preferred method.
The benefits of FOCUS™ over traditional methods of laying FON in trenches are significant – increased speed of deployment (4 times faster), reduced civil disruption, reduced wayleave permissions required, significantly easier reticulation works and route independence (no other FON uses sewer pipes as ducts).

Link Africa’s networks are built on an “open access” basis – equal access will be given to all appropriately licensed entities.

The FON consist of a) a metropolitan transmission ring and b) last mile Fibre-To-The-Premises (FTTP) – servicing telecommunication operators and municipal customers. Link Africa sells services to licensed telecommunication operators and will not sell services to end-customers.
 
declaring sewer based FON deployment as its preferred method.
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As was done in the UK in the early 1980s with co-axial cable TV
 
ScottulusMaximus said:
How does fibre give off or receive interference?
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I would also like to know.

I think the plausible reason would be that, with copper cables being capable of developing faults, and being replaced or joined often, if a fiber optic cable was with it, it would run the risk of physical damage.
 
MickeyD said:
Is it a precursor to full LLU? Possibly.

Is it to help to determine a base cost for facilities leasing? Very possible.

Is it a pilot for the outsourcing of it copper access network? Again very possible as it has been rumored for some time that it is being linked to Telkom's plan to reduce staff. However the deployment of MSANs and ISAMs on street corners complicates matters somewhat as where would the POP be?
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Or is it a way for them to pre-empt arguments against their own Neotel/Vodacom acquisition objections? And a few other reasons we've been able to ascertain.

Hands may have been forced here due to their own positions on a few things that have come out of late. ;)
 
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