Half price Internet still a problem

Well... for starters, internet access for schools should be free, not discounted.
 
cablemonkey said:
Well... for starters, internet access for schools should be free, not discounted.
Click to expand...

Nothing is free.

Telkom as a business it might pay for free school access from its marketing budget to look good, or a social responsibility budget for tax breaks. So actually, Telkom customers, i.e., we pay.

Telkom as a parastatal, the government tells them to give access to the schools and the government pays. i.e., as tax payers we pay.

Have no problem that schools should have all the tools that they need, but lets be under no illusions where the money comes from.

I would be delighted if some of the money haemorraging on 2010, military hardware and the like were directed to schools...
 
To put it plainly, government is complaining that Internet is expensive, but government is to blame for the stiuation (lack of competition, red tape, etc)
WEIRD!!!
 
An ill advised policy

The wording of the e-rate provision in the act has always been ambigous.
- It could mean dialled call rates to the internet
- it could mean Internet access rates ( in that case covering the ISP charges billed by telkom or independant ISPs).
- It may or may not include broadband

All this was pointed out to the DOC at the time, such advice was ignored.
What has Telkom done ?
1. As early as 2003 Telkom approached the DOC for a list of the schools qualifying for the subsidy ( it was clarified that this excludes independent schools and training centers). The DOC promised to do such and never did.

2. Telkom asked for an application process ie who is the account holder ? Who is to be billed for the Half-bill ? The school directly or the dept of education ? Noone wanted to take the responsibility.

3. Telkom asked if they are the only ones expected to subsidise the Acess part ( this is a competitive part of the business with many players) and if so, why ? If not, who will ensure that everyone does ? What is to stop the ISPs from refusing the busing from public schools so that they do not have to subsidise them ? No answer.

A great idea which failed at implementation because noone thinks of the execution when the policy is being developed.

Of course there is a solution :

Telkom, Vodacom, MTN, CellC together pay upwards of R200m per annum to the Universal service Fund ( another white elephant). Let the ISPs and Telkom bill standard rates to the public schools ( an incentive so noone refuses their business) and the Universal service Agency pays the Bills. As things are the fund must now be worth over R1bn , a form of Tax that does not benefit anyone nor the Telecoms industry but the fiscuss or just close down the Universal Service Agency.(This was also pointed out to the DOC then).

By the way the Rural Service licenses launched with such fanfare with alot of money, who knows whatever happened to them ? Another great policy/poor execution example.

I rest my case. RPM , send this response to the DG.
 
Today I wont point a finger at Her Poison Ivyness and say that she's to blame for it all...

I would rather like to adress that ghastly photo of hers that they plaster all over the news. It's time to update it. Get a better one. And allow me to suggest the following photographers: http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=3064
 
Someone is smoking something again.

The only reason why ISP's can't discount anything is because they're reliant on Telkom's pricing. If Telkom turned to the ISP and said they get the 50% discount on the bandwidth used for school a,b and c, then only can the ISP give the discount

what the hell? Telkom charges ISP's full price for bandwidth used.... yet they expect the ISP's to comply with this regulation but not Telkom?

They looking in the wrong places again, dumbasses
 
Well this an odd one - firstly I checked with Telkom that ADSL was included in this and three different people confirmed that it was indeed the case - the ECA 2005 clearly states in Chapter 13 2a " Any connectivity charges for access to the Internet - there was a complaint made to ICASA in this regard, so if Telkom are not giving a 50% discount, I would be keen to know
 
words seems so much prettier(easier) than actions.....
 
Has it ever not been a problem when it comes to compliance?
 
Hey guys !!
- no need for discount. the govt has a thing called Gauteng online.
You might have heard of it?
Its purpose is to to connect schools up to the internet.

This device has been given R2 Billion this year after the first R500 million for the original tender has been "gone missing"
Eish , truly I tell you that if this money is used properly this time every school in Gauteng and varsity should had 4gig lines and 1 pc at least.
 
sickening.

Maybe we should close South Africa down for a few years and criogenically freeze all of us until Eskom gets it's act together and Seacom arrives.
 
Sorry to bump this old thread up again, but I was looking into this for our school this morning, and got the form off of Telkom's site, but then hit an interesting wall: our schools's status.

We are a private independant school, and from what I tell, we therefore cannot apply for the e-rate? Is this correct?

If we could get onto this, we could reduce our phone bill every month, and possible even get the adsl charge reduced. BUt if they don't let private schools sign up then I don't know.

Can anyone clarify this for me? I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks :)
 
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