Why I won't get ADSL

J

Juice

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South Africa.
Thanks to all the people on this board who've pointed out the numerous problems with Telkom's ADSL service. I've compiled a list of reasons not to install ADSL. If I've missed any compelling reasons, please feel free to add them. Hopefully this will give some guidance to other people who are also thinking about applying for ADSL.

<u>The bandwidth cap</u>

Once you've sent and received a total of 3 Gigabytes of data on your ADSL connection, Telkom will switch you to a different network and throttle your international access. Despite the fact that the cap exists to protect South Africa's limited international bandwidth, both local and international traffic contribute to the cap. This is hardly fair. Telkom are seemingly unable (or unwilling) to monitor international bandwidth utilisation in isolation.

In addition to this Telkom are unable to accurately and consistently monitor your use of bandwidth.

<u>The lack of options</u>

Granted that the service is relatively new, but even the general unhappiness about Telkom's only ADSL offerring has done little to convince them to introduce other options, and soon. I'd like to see different pricing on different speeds, differentiation between local and international traffic, different capping options; in fact a wide variety of options on offer by ADSL service providers the world over.

<u>The port prioritisation</u>

I would like to be able to use my internet connection for whatever I want to use it for. Streaming video, streaming audio, http, smtp, ftp, telnet, peer to peer networking, internet gaming, et al. even if I don't actually use the various services all the time. I want to reserve the right to choose for myself what I want, when I want. I resent the fact that my right to choose has been taken away from me.

<u>The cost</u>

Almost in line with the lack of variety, the cost of the current offerring is just too much for me. R680 plus R250 for ADSL is a lot of money every month and then there's also the massive installation costs. I get good service out of my ISDN connection for substantially less. It would be nice to have an always on connection, but since I work away from home all day anyway, I'd be paying for something I'm not going to use when the benefit is greatest.

<u>The attitude</u>

This is more annoying than most of the reasons above. Telkom seems to view its dissatisfied ADSL clients as little more than unpleasant squishy bugs that splattered onto the windscreen of its monopoly. They meet with you only to treat you with scorn and disrespect and only to tell you why you're wrong and they are right. They refuse to listen and they refuse to change the thing that should be easiest to change: their attitude.

Juice
 
outstanding summary to reduce telkom's piggy profit from future ADSL customers. [:D]
 
Now what?

Sorry I am new here but what happens to this list now? Is there any way to publish it in the newspaper?

Desperate situation requires desperate action. How long must we suffer?
 
Since you are trying to inform potential Telkom ADSL customers, you should also add the POSITIVE things...
 
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by tim</i>
<br />Since you are trying to inform potential Telkom ADSL customers, you should also add the POSITIVE things...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

The topic was "Why I won't get ADSL". So Juice was trying to warn potential ADSL customers of the pitfalls.

So I'll fill in the positive and semi-positive things:

1. 24/7 connection when you can connect and stay connected.
2. Wonderful speeds....sometimes.

The end.


----------------
United we stand!
----------------
 
Telkom takes great care to tell people of the benefits of ADSL. It's on their web-site. I just thought I'd tell people the things you won't find there, along with some clarification of the negatives like the cap.

Juice
 
Its to late for me not only is my line constently getting dissconected , but i wasted , like R3000 getting all this ADSL stuff going , and now if i will like to go back to ISDN they will probbely make shure to charge me some more .and whats with them takeing the ISDN box dont we pay for it ?? when we get ISDN installed
 
Juice said:
Thanks to all the people on this board who've pointed out the numerous problems with Telkom's ADSL service. I've compiled a list of reasons not to install ADSL. If I've missed any compelling reasons, please feel free to add them. Hopefully this will give some guidance to other people who are also thinking about applying for ADSL.

<u>The bandwidth cap</u>

Once you've sent and received a total of 3 Gigabytes of data on your ADSL connection, Telkom will switch you to a different network and throttle your international access. Despite the fact that the cap exists to protect South Africa's limited international bandwidth, both local and international traffic contribute to the cap. This is hardly fair. Telkom are seemingly unable (or unwilling) to monitor international bandwidth utilisation in isolation.

In addition to this Telkom are unable to accurately and consistently monitor your use of bandwidth.

<u>The lack of options</u>

Granted that the service is relatively new, but even the general unhappiness about Telkom's only ADSL offerring has done little to convince them to introduce other options, and soon. I'd like to see different pricing on different speeds, differentiation between local and international traffic, different capping options; in fact a wide variety of options on offer by ADSL service providers the world over.

<u>The port prioritisation</u>

I would like to be able to use my internet connection for whatever I want to use it for. Streaming video, streaming audio, http, smtp, ftp, telnet, peer to peer networking, internet gaming, et al. even if I don't actually use the various services all the time. I want to reserve the right to choose for myself what I want, when I want. I resent the fact that my right to choose has been taken away from me.

<u>The cost</u>

Almost in line with the lack of variety, the cost of the current offerring is just too much for me. R680 plus R250 for ADSL is a lot of money every month and then there's also the massive installation costs. I get good service out of my ISDN connection for substantially less. It would be nice to have an always on connection, but since I work away from home all day anyway, I'd be paying for something I'm not going to use when the benefit is greatest.

<u>The attitude</u>

This is more annoying than most of the reasons above. Telkom seems to view its dissatisfied ADSL clients as little more than unpleasant squishy bugs that splattered onto the windscreen of its monopoly. They meet with you only to treat you with scorn and disrespect and only to tell you why you're wrong and they are right. They refuse to listen and they refuse to change the thing that should be easiest to change: their attitude.

Juice
Click to expand...

+1 same reasons I'm using 3G
 
Man alive! What an interesting read. Will make think twice about dissing any new techs coming along.
 
Telkom seems to view its dissatisfied ADSL clients as little more than unpleasant squishy bugs that splattered onto the windscreen of its monopoly.
Click to expand...
Thank you for making me smile. Its so true, i think that is the same sort of attitude with all the big monopolies. With the price of 3G when you only have access to Vodacom, ADSL is almost the only option if you would like to use the internet for more than just email and forums. 3G breaks my bank each month, and I barely use any bandwidth. Looking at getting ADSL, although its not offered in my area, but making a plan. "A boer maak a plan"
 
Last edited:
sirhc said:
Thank you for making me smile. Its so true, i think that is the same sort of attitude with all the big monopolies. With the price of 3G when you only have access to Vodacom, ADSL is almost the only option if you would like to use the internet for more than just email and forums. 3G breaks my bank each month, and I barely use any bandwidth. Looking at getting ADSL, although its not offered in my area, but making a plan. "A boer maak a plan"
Click to expand...


You do realize that this post has been posted in 2003?

Since then a lot of the arguments have been rendered moot.
I am on Telkom's uncapped 2mbs account and had no major issues with their ISP so far. I can also use it as I wish.
 
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