The Telkom tax

G

gerasmus

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2008
Messages
306
Reaction score
2
Location
Noord van hier
Hello all,

Would someone please explain to me the processs for applying for ADSL in South Africa and what I call the Telkom Tax ?

I recently applied for the DigiChilli's 512k uncapped connection only to find that the ISP only provides the internet and price does not include the Telkom tax and they also do not organise/provision for line to be ADSL activated.
I got a username/pwd only to find after waiting 7 days that the line has still not been ADSL activated. Yes, I read that it is a BYOM (Bring your own modem). Fine, I thought self install suits me. After calling around to Digichilli finally I got the answer that in South Africa the ISP only provides the internet. I was informed that I still had to go contact Telkom independantly from the ISP to get the line ADSL activated + pay Telkom an ADSL line fee. The higher the speed the higher the tax.

I am aware that ADSL speed depends on distance from the exchange and some other factors.

Am I correct in saying that to get ADSL in S-Africa one has to go through the following hoops:
1. Contact Telkom and have your line ADSL activated. Although Telkom will not be the ISP, accept that one has to pay several hundred Rands tax to Telkom just to flick a switch (software or hardware) in the local exchange to enable ADSL on the line.
2. Pay the monthly Telkom tax.
3. Await line activation.
4. Contact your ISP of choice and apply for ADSL service.
5. Install your modem/router.

Questions:
1. Do I have to pay the Telkom tax just so that I can get ADSL every month, although I am not a customer of Telkom's "Do Broadband" ?
2. If/when Wi-max arrives in my area, will I still have to pay the Telkom tax when switching to WiMax ?
3. DigiChilli helpdesk seem to know nothing about how the process works and neither can they answer the next question. With Telkom I applied for a 1mb line, while at Digichilli I applied for a 512k connection. What speed am I likely to get ? Will DigiChilli be slowing me down to 512k ?

A few weeks ago after 10 years living in the E.U. I moved back to S-Africa (sound crazy, yes) for family reasons.
I was used to 20mb uncapped low latency for 20 Euro per month + phone company line rental.

In E.U. this is how I applied for ADSL, all progress can be followed from website:
1. Go on ISP website. Do a line test which ill tell you the speed you are likely to get. This is on ISP's own website. No redirection.
2. Complete online application & ISP login details created.
3. ISP organises ADSL line activation at the exchange.
4. Three to five working days later ADSL is activated and ready to use. There are no additional charges to the phone company. You pay your 20 Euro and that is it. You have uncapped low latency 20Mb down and 2mb up pipe at home.
5. You pay your bill and probably never conact ISP again until you move house.
 
Basically yes..

You have to pay Telkom for the analogue line rental at +- R130pm...

Then if you want ADSL you have to pay Telkom an additional figure over and above that every month depending on the speed of the ADSL line you want.
 
How does Telkom go about deciding on how to ration out line speed and how much to charge for it? Why did they pick 384k,512k and 1Mb/4Mb in particular? What keeps 4Mb lines from being the norm and why are we charged for the amount of data we buy as well as the speed that it is coming down the line?
 
We have all asked the same thing for years, its their monopoly, and thats what they offer. We can moan but they don't give a toss. After having lived in the States for many years and coming back to this I was blown away. Welcome back :D
 
Grep said:
We have all asked the same thing for years, its their monopoly, and thats what they offer. We can moan but they don't give a toss. After having lived in the States for many years and coming back to this I was blown away. Welcome back :D
Click to expand...

I am screwed. By Telkom. And especially where I live (in a small town 100's of km's from a city) competition for Telkom will never appear, exacly because it's such a small town.
 
gerasmus you got ripped by digichillie's cheap service, telkom is the only ISP that provides the ADSL line, it not tax, your paying rent for the ADSL line, now quite a few ISPs organize the line for you, nashua mobile for example (cheapest ADSL, worst customer care) even sets up your line with telkom for you, The you can choose what ever other ISP to get your Data from (a ADSL line with no ISP handling it will just connect to telkom.co.za) The only way you can be free of telkom at your end is to go with iBurst (Bad I hear) Neotel (also sucks I hear) Vodacom and MTN both 3g and HSDPA these are all wireless but the speed are not that great, plus they are alot more expensive then ADSL
 
gerasmus said:
To my knowledge, this was not written in the fine print or Terms & conditions or the FAQ !
Click to expand...

its a package you order 384Kps is the cheapest, 512Kps mid range and 4mbs is highest (you pay more for more speed, I'm sure they have that in the EU :confused: )
 
Andaeriel said:
How does Telkom go about deciding on how to ration out line speed and how much to charge for it? Why did they pick 384k,512k and 1Mb/4Mb in particular? What keeps 4Mb lines from being the norm and why are we charged for the amount of data we buy as well as the speed that it is coming down the line?
Click to expand...

EXACLY ?!!! I would think that limiting the speed is just a way of milking the cow. I am sure providing a 256k and 8mb connection costs the same.

I think the average user (who) doesn't know the differece between a biological virus and a computer virus. They wanna check their webmail once a week and that's it.

When I called Telkom today (jumping the hoops) the lady was stunned when I asked for uncapped, as if I was crazy. IPTVin HD (www.filmon.com), 320bit webradio, HDTV, Youtube in HD. Stuff your average user in SA doesn't even know about because bandwith here is so expensive.
 
gerasmus said:
EXACLY ?!!! I would think that limiting the speed is just a way of milking the cow. I am sure providing a 256k and 8mb connection costs the same.

I think the average user (who) doesn't know the differece between a biological virus and a computer virus. They wanna check their webmail once a week and that's it.

When I called Telkom today (jumping the hoops) the lady was stunned when I asked for uncapped, as if I was crazy. IPTVin HD (www.filmon.com), 320bit webradio, HDTV, Youtube in HD. Stuff your average user in SA doesn't even know about because bandwith here is so expensive.
Click to expand...

LOL! I can imagine her "HAYIBO! what is this IPTV? please phone SABC for TV"

Telkom doesn't offer uncapped


and it is milking the cow, thats how they make a part of their money, your in a 3rd/2nd world country bro.... :)
 
This is such a n00b thread.

Anyway, Telkom owns the "last mile." That's the piece of copper from your house to the "exchange." The data travels from your PC, to the exchange and then to DigiChilli (plus or minus). So it's not tax, you're paying for use of the copper.

Also, as for asking why Telkom offers the speeds that they do is like asking why milk comes in 1l sachets but 2l bottles. Or why Coke comes in a 330ml can. It's kinda abstract. Some guy did some research/calculations and decided that would be best.
 
Tpex said:
... Vodacom and MTN both 3g and HSDPA these are all wireless but the speed are not that great, plus they are alot more expensive then ADSL
Click to expand...

Thanks for your answer :) One of the reason I wanna get ADSL is because I'm currently using Vodacom HSDPA, costing me R2000 pm.
When we moved to S-Africa my wife managed to keep her job that she had in E.U. working for www.slando.ru, part of eBay. Just to be able to do her job she alone uses anything from 100-250mb PER DAY, which was nothing on an uncapped line !
I thought that switching to ADSL would be cheaper option plus allow me all the comforts I was used to like watching HD video on Youtube.. downloading 3Gb.

I agree. I was suckered. Unfortunately where I live I don't have much of a choice as I live in Ellisras, on a farm and probably out of DSL range. But no one can tell me that. Not even Telkom.
 
gerasmus said:
I agree. I was suckered. Unfortunately where I live I don't have much of a choice as I live in Ellisras, on a farm and probably out of DSL range. But no one can tell me that. Not even Telkom.
Click to expand...

Why not go for a VSAT solution?
 
Tpex said:
its a package you order 384Kps is the cheapest, 512Kps mid range and 4mbs is highest (you pay more for more speed, I'm sure they have that in the EU :confused: )
Click to expand...

When I lived in EU, initially there was line speeds with associated price differences. That disappeared. Since about 3 years ago a lot of ISPs offered fastest the fastest speed your line could handle for one flat rate.

Just like in South Africa, the national monopoly is also the biggest ADSL ISP. Why ? Because they have the financial muscle to advertise everywhere and your average user doesn't know (or care) that there are alternatives.
 
gerasmus said:
When I lived in EU, initially there was line speeds with associated price differences. That disappeared. Since about 3 years ago a lot of ISPs offered fastest the fastest speed your line could handle for one flat rate.

Just like in South Africa, the national monopoly is also the biggest ADSL ISP. Why ? Because they have the financial muscle to advertise everywhere and your average user doesn't know (or care) that there are alternatives.
Click to expand...

:cry:
 
Grep said:
We have all asked the same thing for years, its their monopoly, and thats what they offer. We can moan but they don't give a toss. After having lived in the States for many years and coming back to this I was blown away. Welcome back :D
Click to expand...

I still blame the Americans for the state of our telecoms!!
 
Kaufies said:
Have you tried the Availability Check?
Click to expand...

Yes I have tried this. But it does not tell me the distance to my exchange, it does not tell me the line noise ratio's. Not Telkom, and not the ISP can tell me this !

It says I do have ADSL on exchange and that I can get ADSL. I live in a small town. Our next neighbouring town (even smaller) is 89kms away. I know ADSL is only effective up 4,5-5km's but...

Please guys, do yourself a favour. Ask someone who lives in the UK or Netherlands how a line test is done by your potential ISP.
If you don't know, here is how ine find out what line speed one can get in an EU country:

1. Call your potential ISP's sales.
2. Give your landline number where you want the ADSL installed.
3. The sales guy/girls will probably tell you "Your copper cable is 1,9km or 2,4km (whatever) and you can expect to receive up to 17Mb downstream and 1,5mb upstream."
It is number 3 that no one can tell me.
 
gerasmus said:
Yes I have tried this. But it does not tell me the distance to my exchange, it does not tell me the line noise ratio's. Not Telkom, and not the ISP can tell me this !

It says I do have ADSL on exchange and that I can get ADSL. I live in a small town. Our next neighbouring town (even smaller) is 89kms away. I know ADSL is only effective up 4,5-5km's but...

Please guys, do yourself a favour. Ask someone who lives in the UK or Netherlands how a line test is done by your potential ISP.
If you don't know, here is how ine find out what line speed one can get in an EU country:

1. Call your potential ISP's sales.
2. Give your landline number where you want the ADSL installed.
3. The sales guy/girls will probably tell you "Your copper cable is 1,9km or 2,4km (whatever) and you can expect to receive up to 17Mb downstream and 1,5mb upstream."
It is number 3 that no one can tell me.
Click to expand...

LOL that doesn't happen here, You ether got ADSL or you don't, Telkom don't worry about quality of speed that much
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X