Telkom Task Force

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Plaasjapie

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Does anyone know anything about the new Telkom Task Force that has apparently been set up and has actively been putting pressure on ICASA regarding the wireless operators the last 2 weeks. It seems Telkom claim that, VANS license or not, these ISM wireless internet providers are operating illegally and they are forcing ICASA to do something about it. People have been getting calls and visits from ICASA questioning them about their operations. Also, bandwidth providers, have been getting calls from ICASA, saying that TELKOM have been putting in complaints about them abusing their VANS license, in providing bandwidth to wireless operators who don't have a license in reselling bandwith.
 
I am supplying Wireless Internet access on a rather small scale but growing. Most of our clients are geographically out of reach of ISDN not to mention ADSL. The normal telephone lines are also poor.

I have been phoned by the provider of my ADSL accounts saying that Telkom contacted them warning them that they as a Licensed VAN are supplying a service to a non-licensed reseller which are reselling bandwidth and therefore are violating some VAN's Regulation. They then asked me to stop using their service.

He also says that Telkom is busy reporting me to Icasa!

I am wondering the following:
- Why Is Telkom targeting such a small player as me? What about the big companies that are a real threat?
- Are there more threats like this around?
- Isn't there some group that can be formed to stand up for the Wisps?

I know of many other small wisps like me trying to fly under the radar but I got a wake-up call today. Somehow, somewhere we will be exposed and we will have to stand together now to have a voice and negotiate some right to existence.

Any ideas?
 
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wisp said:
- Why Is Telkom targeting such a small player as me? What about the big companies that are a real threat?
Click to expand...

Dude, you are taking away like 0.0000000000000000000001% of telkom's annual profit and forcing them to embark on the painful journey of working, and even more painful, actually thinking.

They will not tollerate such unrealistic and unfair challenges.

It was probably some smartass call centre techie who reported you in the the hopes of a promotion
 
I don't understand how this can happen - isn't 802.11b an internationallly unregulated frequency? if so - isn't all this licence malarky just contrary to international standards (and the notion of the internet)?
 
Yes and the speculations will go on forever at this rate.
The first thing we need to do is find out who's who in the Zoo. Who are the specialist
Telecoms lawyers? Secondly pull all the casefiles ie. Icasa vs. Aerosat ..
The actual rulings by a judge will give us some direction.

The whole issue is that UUNET and IS are mortified of Telkom, not Icasa, not going
to jail, not the SAPS: No Telkom is their fear. Telkom has the power to pull the plug on
them and they seemingly will have legal grounds to do this if the ISP's violate the terms of their VANS license.

The only counter weight are the international satellite companies. www.bentleywalker.net seems to be some sort of ...... I asked them 10 times to just
tell me what is the bandwidth cap. They refuse, just spin stories. They also could not
point me to anybody in SA that uses their service. They do have a satellite though
near the equator with line of sight to SA. We need to find out how many satellites are there and who owns them and what are the local user experience with them.
 
could someone find me the international standards regarding this, and a detailed description of why you think its wrong. Ill take on Telkom re this
 
reech said:
I don't understand how this can happen - isn't 802.11b an internationallly unregulated frequency? if so - isn't all this licence malarky just contrary to international standards (and the notion of the internet)?
Click to expand...

[It is unregulated but in south africa I believe the telecoms act prohibits provisioning of telecoms services across public roads if you are not a licensed telecoms provider.... (I am not an authourity on this matter though lol)
 
Wisp, all I can say, is that you need to get this in writing, from the provider of your DSL service. They will probably say that you broke their AUP, but even so, get it in writing.

Then move your business elsewhere.
 
i have heard of this pressure group but was unaware that they had got active - will be interesting to see how ICASA reacts...not sure how much capacity they have or what their attitude will be to telkom

telkom - not content with stealing they want to be the cops too
 
There's only one way to end this Telkom bullying - the laws have to be changed.
Until this happens - just like Robert across the river - telkom can do anything in the name of the law.
The prez spelt this out some months ago.
 
reech said:
I don't understand how this can happen - isn't 802.11b an internationallly unregulated frequency? if so - isn't all this licence malarky just contrary to international standards (and the notion of the internet)?
Click to expand...

No no no nooo...

ISM band is *not* an unregulated frequency in SA.
 
Telkom hold the monopoly of intenet.
Other isp's like sentech and axxess buy packages in bulk and sell them at a cheap price.
I fact they should start thier own lines intead of using telkoms lines!
Its quite ridiculous. Telkom is one of the world most biggest thiefs.
the sad part is , its the only things s.a got!:(
 
Telkom can get ****ed if they think they can tell ppl they cannot put up wisp's, and try and pressure icasa to take them down.

The utter contempt telkom shows for the public is overshadowed by their absolute disregard for availability and freedom of choice of internet access for consumers.

I am embarassed that they are a south african company, its really just not right, they are just.... they're a national embarassment.

Go set up wisp's - dont give a **** about the legal crap man, just do it. At the end of they day its not for telkom to say what we can and cant do with wireless or anything else so they can GET ****ED. ***kers.
 
MaD said:
Telkom can get ****ed if they think they can tell ppl they cannot put up wisp's, and try and pressure icasa to take them down.

The utter contempt telkom shows for the public is overshadowed by their absolute disregard for availability and freedom of choice of internet access for consumers.

I am embarassed that they are a south african company, its really just not right, they are just.... they're a national embarassment.

Go set up wisp's - dont give a **** about the legal crap man, just do it. At the end of they day its not for telkom to say what we can and cant do with wireless or anything else so they can GET ****ED. ***kers.
Click to expand...

I'm sharing your sentiments here MaD.
 
I wonder how it must feel working for a company like Telkom. I'd be too ashamed to mention it in public. Imagine knowing one of the people on such a task force. These people should be made outcasts and the public pressure brought upon them be so much, that nobody in Telkom would want to do such a job.
 
Plaasjapie , if an employee/task force member of telscum felt morally stong enough about the task force being a sham do you think they should tell there boss to screw it and quit. This is SA , there are not many jobs around and these people are just that people who work for a Sh*tty company. I am all for attacking telscum but not the people who work there ( well most of them anyway, not sure if I should use telscum and work in the same sentence). Its just a job and you do as you are instructed to do.
There are few people who can afford to quit on principle, I mean look at the forum , the amount of people who have tried there best to not use telscum at all anymore can be counted on one hand, and even they are still using them indirectly.
 
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(Private) Telecommunication services are not allowed to cross the road.

Here's a new idea... Why not buy the road. These days the developers etc. are forced to put in their own roads, since municipalities are to incapable of doing so, but want to reap all the new Rates & Taxes from these residential developments.

The municipalities have no interest in owning road - otherwise they will be maintianing them. In my area small holes become big potholes within the week, and when they get around to fixing them (once in a blue moon), they fail to notice that the tar next to the hole is already crumbling. This is a joke (the road and 2.4G).

So, can someone shed some light as to the likelyhood of being able to buy the road?
 
No way the municipality is gonna agree to that. I seriously hope not else we will have mini toll roads in the suburbs instead of booms.
 
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