Telecoms Action Campaign moving ahead
The campaign will use the funds to publish a full page advertisement in the national Mail & Guardian newspaper on 20 October 2006. The campaign website states that any extra money received will be used for similar targeted campaigns.
“We want South Africa and the world to know that we are dissatisfied with the current state of telecommunications in our country,” the TAG website says.
The eagerness of so many people to donate to this cause is an indication of the severity of the situation.
Amoung the individuals and businesses that pledged money there are many familiar names, including Ben Kelly, Hyperlink Internet, Phillip de Wet, Michael Alachouzos, Flow Communications, Ana Monteiro, Dial A Nerd, Samantha Perry, Alastair Otter, Antitrust.co.za and of course MyADSL.
The fact that so many IT journalists pledged money highlights the fact that people in the know feel that something needs to be done to improve the dismal state of telecoms in South Africa.
Local businesses and individuals are suffering due to the high cost of telecoms, and the cost of the lack of competition in the fixed line arena to the economy was recently estimated to be in excess of R 50 Billion over the past few years alone.
The most detrimental effect of the lack of competition is in the ADSL marketplace where South Africa is in the region of 1000% more expensive than international standards.
Users have been asked to give their views on the advertisement here: http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=54620
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