Telkom ADSL info raises concern
Telkom’s automatic access to ADSL information – which consumers and businesses believe should be protected – raised concern recently among both consumers and ISPs.
According to feedback from both consumers and ISPs Telkom can freely retrieve information about all accounts and usage on any ADSL line. This information includes ISP usernames, NAS port numbers and the amount of traffic done on each ADSL line.
This right of entry to potentially competitor sensitive information by Telkom raised concern about possible abuse by the company’s retail department.
Many ISPs have already complained about Telkom ‘stealing’ customers from them in the ADSL market – especially when ISPs apply for ADSL line installations on behalf of customers. Telkom’s ability to access all ADSL information unhindered will only add fuel to this fire.
ISPs struggling
The Internet Service Providers Association of South Africa (ISPA) says that Telkom's access to sensitive information about its competitor's customers has long been cause for concern for their members.
“This information includes not just ADSL usage accounts, but also information on consumer services, such as which consumers have recently had ADSL lines installed as well as knowledge of the capacity and locations of all fixed lines between ISPs and their corporate customers, and lines used for managed data networks,” ISPA said.
ISPA further pointed out that the fact that Telkom has access to this information provides substantial scope for systematic abuse by the company even though such abuse is not official company policy.
“Historically, ISPA has had many reports of Telkom abusing sensitive information in an anti-competitive manner. Evidence of such anti-competitive actions has formed part of ISPA's various complaints to the Competition Commission, and we hope that the Commission has reviewed these practices as part of its current investigation into Telkom's activities,” ISPA said.
According to ISPA Telkom has, in recent years, made some effort to separate its wholesale and retail operations to reduce the scope for some anti-competitive activities, something which the ISP Association welcomes.
“However, only a complete separation of Telkom's wholesale and retail operations into different legal entities would completely remove the potential for such abuse. ISPA has suggested this as far back as 1996,” ISPA concluded.
Telkom responds
Telkom however explains that it needs limited information to be able to serve the needs of their ADSL subscribers.
Telkom is responsible for the physical access portion of all ADSL lines in the country and for ISP support to Telkom Internet customers only. For ADSL customers, that have accounts with ISP's other than Telkom Internet, the first port of call should be their respective ISP's support centre.
“The Company is forced to have limited access (to the type of information in question) for ADSL customers whose ISP's do not perform first line support functionality, since the EBSC (Electronic Business Solutions Centre – 0800 375 375 call centre) has to perform certain interrogations that are applicable to first line ADSL support,” says Nabintu Petsana, Telkom’s Acting Group Executive for Corporate Communication.
“While usernames can be accessed, no other customers' account specific information can be viewed by EBSC agents,” says Petsana.
On the issue of potentially using some ADSL information to benefit its own retail division, Telkom says that “being a good corporate citizen, Telkom will not engage in anti-competitive behaviour.”
“ISP's that do not run their own first line support are fully aware of the reasons for the limited access to the basic information required for testing. It is important to note that Telkom welcomes the advent of ISP's performing their own first line ADSL support as this will negate the need for EBSC agents to access this information,” Petsana concluded.
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