Telkom uncapped ADSL investigated

Inevitability said:
I just fel that there should be no need to sue the word "true" before the word "uncapped".
Uncapped is uncapped.
Capped is everything that is not uncapped.

Rather than allowing advertisers to use the term "uncapped", the ASA/ICASA/CPA/whoever should just force ISPs to sell these products as capped (... the cap being the FUP limit) with the benefit of sloooooooooow internet access after the cap.
Try getting an advertiser to spin THAT!!
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If they stick to your definition then a 2mb uncapped line would cost R2000 minimum!So thanks I think I'll rather pay R200 and have a reasonable point at which its throttled down to slower speeds and still not capped.

200mb on a 2mb line is reasonable IMO,also if you download after hours it doesn't count towards this cap btw.
 
falcon786 said:
If they stick to your definition then a 2mb uncapped line would cost R2000 minimum!So thanks I think I'll rather pay R200 and have a reasonable point at which its throttled down to slower speeds and still not capped.
200mb on a 2mb line is reasonable IMO,also if you download after hours it doesn't count towards this cap btw.
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But that's not really an uncapped service. That's a capped service, with benefits, labelled as uncapped.
But I'll concede that there is room for interpretation ... I just don't like that it gets misused to the potential detriment of the layman who doesn't care to read the fine print.
The powers that be agree with your interpretation, and I guess enough people out there are ok with it so it's deemed as being ok.
 
Inevitability said:
But that's not really an uncapped service. That's a capped service, with benefits, labelled as uncapped.
But I'll concede that there is room for interpretation ... I just don't like that it gets misused to the potential detriment of the layman who doesn't care to read the fine print.
The powers that be agree with your interpretation, and I guess enough people out there are ok with it so it's deemed as being ok.
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By strict definition there is no such thing as an "uncapped" account.

There will always be a theoretical limit as determined by your line speed.


Disclaimer: My position has always been that of bigger fixed data limits (I don't like the term "capped").
 
MickeyD said:
By strict definition there is no such thing as an "uncapped" account.
There will always be a theoretical limit as determined by your line speed.
Disclaimer: My position has always been that of bigger fixed data limits (I don't like the term "capped").
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point conceded
 
falcon786 said:
If they stick to your definition then a 2mb uncapped line would cost R2000 minimum!So thanks I think I'll rather pay R200 and have a reasonable point at which its throttled down to slower speeds and still not capped.

200mb on a 2mb line is reasonable IMO,also if you download after hours it doesn't count towards this cap btw.
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After 100 seconds of maxing the line I hit my cap? Nooooo!
 
Inevitability said:
But that's not really an uncapped service. That's a capped service, with benefits, labelled as uncapped.
But I'll concede that there is room for interpretation ... I just don't like that it gets misused to the potential detriment of the layman who doesn't care to read the fine print.
The powers that be agree with your interpretation, and I guess enough people out there are ok with it so it's deemed as being ok.
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True uncapped is available on some business uncapped packages and even fibre,but the pricing becomes excessive hence why I don't complain much about this issue personally.
 
Raphael123 said:
So we now know fair use is 200 gigs for Helkom. What was Mwebs fair use capped at?
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200 for which speed?

It depends on who you speak to, but people have been capped (throttled) for far less. I've heard it's 100 Gigs for a 2 Meg line. Are Telkom going to state what it really is?

All I can see is that shaping has become very very severe on uncapped, which rules out the need to throttle. Unlike around january, we can't actually get a torrent to work until after 1am in the morning. Daytime streaming is often tricky, and gaming is not unshaped until around 11pm or even later.

Weekends are regarded as peak days as well, which is very unusual for an ISP.

We cannot get hold of the Telkom Internet team to query anything.

I also find it odd that Telkom refers to ISPA when they aren't even prepared to be members. Instead they rely on the rather paralytic ICASA for regulation.

I think customers expect a little shaping (as it was a few months ago), but presently the Telkom uncapped product is more reminscent of the R99 Axxess uncapped browsing account - which was relegated to the dustbin for lack of interest.

Nobody needs uncapped browsing. I can't see a case for that. The uncapped product needs to be brought up to modern usage patterns with bigger data thresholds, more transparency, more official customer interaction by the team (instead of brand advocates here), and less shaping, especially after hours.
 
MickeyD said:
No, you don't know that. When was the complaint filed? What product was it? Did Telkom say it was 200GB?
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4Meg line and the ruling was recent (9th October 2014)
Telkom says the average is 1/2 of this. i.e. 100Gig
 
AntiGanda said:
http://www.asasa.org.za/rulings/telkommobileuncappedadvances-sclarke-1227f
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Thanks.

I see no data limit mentioned in the response?

RESPONSE

The respondent submitted that the name "Uncapped” is not misleading and is a term used industry-wide and by the Internet Service Providers Association of South Africa (ISPA).

ISPA has various definitions of broadband services as part of its recommendations on broadband technology. Uncapped cannot mean "unlimited access” especially since the network is used by thousands of users simultaneously. If one customer is permitted to have unrestricted access and unlimited usage to the extent that he is permitted to use the internet for 24 hours on a non-stop basis and to download massive amounts of data, another user will be affected by the conduct of the customer through network usage.

Whilst the service is clearly uncapped, users are expected to use the service within acceptable standards to the extent that it does not amount to abuse.

The limitations are identified in its Internet Uncapped Fair Usage Policy, which clearly advises customers as to the circumstances under which it will be compelled to cap a service. Under Point 9 customers are advised that:

"Telkom reserves the right to apply restrictions on an uncapped account if a customer’s behaviour is determined to be affecting the user experience of other customers on Telkom’s network. Such restrictions may include but are not limited to throttling a customer’s throughput speeds to an appropriate proportion of the actual port speed...”

Telkom does offer an unrestricted internet service where subscribers have a dedicated line and they control how internet access will be shared amongst the band of users having access to the service. This service is very expensive and generally used by large corporations with numerous offices and employees.
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MickeyD said:
In keeping with the article, i.e. sticking to Telkom, you do not get punished for usage in Night Surfer time, which they consider to be their off-peak period.
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Which I think is till acceptable. I was with Web Africa, but there was no differentiation between peak and off-peak traffic. Was still throttled even though 90% of my traffic was between 24h00 and 06h00.
 
MickeyD said:
You mean the FUP or AUP of all ISPs should clearly define their usage thresholds?
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FUPs ands AUPs should not be a substitute for properly advertising a product.
 
falcon786 said:
If they stick to your definition then a 2mb uncapped line would cost R2000 minimum!So thanks I think I'll rather pay R200 and have a reasonable point at which its throttled down to slower speeds and still not capped.

200mb on a 2mb line is reasonable IMO,also if you download after hours it doesn't count towards this cap btw.
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The issue is that it doesn't fall within the real definition of uncapped. The ASA has redefined the term to match the product. True uncapped products do cost that much and are available in the market. Telkom shouldn't be allowed to advertise a product that isn't the same as if it is and then supplement a term with ts&cs. Rather have them call it softcapped then you have your cheap internet and nobody is misled.

MickeyD said:
By strict definition there is no such thing as an "uncapped" account.

There will always be a theoretical limit as determined by your line speed.


Disclaimer: My position has always been that of bigger fixed data limits (I don't like the term "capped").
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True but it have always been taken as a given that uncapped product don't have artificial limitations placed on the line speed that's different from its advertised speed.
 
Swa said:
The issue is that it doesn't fall within the real definition of uncapped. The ASA has redefined the term to match the product. True uncapped products do cost that much and are available in the market. Telkom shouldn't be allowed to advertise a product that isn't the same as if it is and then supplement a term with ts&cs. Rather have them call it softcapped then you have your cheap internet and nobody is misled.


True but it have always been taken as a given that uncapped product don't have artificial limitations placed on the line speed that's different from its advertised speed.
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Industry norm... Not limited to Telkom.
 
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