PRESS STATEMENT
RESPONSE TO THE MAIL & GUARDIAN’S
TELKOM PACKAGES RIP OFF THE POOR ARTICLE
JOHANNESBURG, 30 July 2006
The SMME Forum is acutely perturbed by the unrelenting and downright unjustified attacks on Telkom in this week’s Mail & Guardian newspaper by a coterie of critics such as the Internet Solutions (IS), Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) and Genesis Analytics.
It appears to the Forum that some institutions and so-called “independent analysts” have made it their permanent preoccupation to criticize Telkom irrespective of the company’s positive actions in the communities it serves.
Telkom’s innovative pricing and telecommunications rollout strategy and implementation have had a positive effect on small business especially those in previously disadvantaged areas. A clear measure of the company’s success in this regard is the unprecedented demand for its offerings by SMEs. There exists no better endorsement for any company than customers flocking to acquire its products and services in the rate as it is happening for Telkom, and much to the chagrin of its detractors.
Much as the Forum believes that there is still plenty of miles to go before Telkom could be said to have walked its talk, a closer analysis of Telkom’s efforts at providing telecommunication services, especially in previously disadvantaged areas, paints a supreme picture of an organisation that continues to be more responsive to the needs of its customers. No wonder Telkom’s broadband offering, ADSL, is in such great demand in the SME sector, including those operating in previously disadvantaged areas.
Telkom has shown a great deal of maturity and sophistication regarding the need to accelerate affordable broadband penetration in previously disadvantaged areas. The company has begun to aggressively rollout ADSL in black townships – evidently a little fact of little or no consequence to its critics.
When the Forum first pointed out to Telkom last year the appalling state of broadband in black townships, the company reacted positively and begun to address the issue with more vigour. Not so ISPA members who really do not care about internet availability in previously disadvantaged areas. When confronted with the issue of lack of local internet POPs in the township and a low internet penetration level by ISPs in these areas, ISPA chose to obfuscate itself out of the issue. ISPA conveniently forgets that most of its members have VANS licenses and can provide voice as well as data services to all, including SMEs in previously disadvantaged areas.
Whereas ISPA continuously cries foul about Telkom’s dominance of the market, members of ISPA should be happy that Telkom is at least also expanding the available telecommunications market for them by extending broadband rollout in townships. ISPA’s repetitious whimpers are now becoming boring since ISPA do not seem to want to contribute positively to the telecommunications discourse in SA. In fact ISPA is patently known for its anti-transformation stance as evidenced through its attitude towards the ICT Charter, amongst others. ISPA also continues to perpetuate the status quo and it is the only organisation known to unashamedly disrespect and ridicule elected leaders in our government whilst at the same time soliciting their support and sympathy in their nefarious agenda.
Telkom, in partnership with Alcatel, recently launched a first in a series of sustainable public internet access facilities in Tembisa – an event that largely escaped the attention of the local media and Telkom’s detractors.
Telkom should be encouraged in its laudable efforts at bridging the digital divide and ensure that it gives the SNO and others a run for their money. The telecommunications industry needs strong competitors and not wimps such as some found in ISPA.
We trust that as it goes about its business of bridging the digital divide, Telkom does not get distracted by charlatans such as myADSL, ISPA and others. If ISPA and others cannot stand the heat in the kitchen, they should know better what to do!
Genesis Analytics should confine its comments and advise on issues that affect its Melrose Arch confines from where it seems to launch its scud missiles at Telkom from a position of opulence ostensibly on behalf of the underprivileged and poor communities.
As for myADSL, it shall remain just that! His (Rudolph Muller’s) lecture-room-based entity that is only concerned about the plight of the privileged few who seemingly live in a world of their own to the exclusion of the majority of the underprivileged has turned Telkom-bashing into its favourite pastime. Anyhow, MyADSL and ISPA continue to be as irrelevant to the majority of the underprivileged as they ever have been.
As for the FXI, it has certainly put a foot in its mouth on this one. Economics I dictate that the free market will vote with its wallet. Certainly poor people have given Telkom a resounding stamp of approval for its latest bouquet of services and products. Demand for Telkom Closer and Supreme Call packages seem to be extremely buoyant – and we wish for this to continue.
The SMME Forum fully endorses Telkom in its strides and views the innovative packages it has introduced as a step in the right direction. Telkom should be encouraged to do more and its critics should stop taking unnecessary pot-shots at the company and focus their energies on how we can all contribute to a better (telecommunications) place for all.
END OF STATEMENT
RESPONSE TO THE MAIL & GUARDIAN’S
TELKOM PACKAGES RIP OFF THE POOR ARTICLE
JOHANNESBURG, 30 July 2006
The SMME Forum is acutely perturbed by the unrelenting and downright unjustified attacks on Telkom in this week’s Mail & Guardian newspaper by a coterie of critics such as the Internet Solutions (IS), Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA), Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) and Genesis Analytics.
It appears to the Forum that some institutions and so-called “independent analysts” have made it their permanent preoccupation to criticize Telkom irrespective of the company’s positive actions in the communities it serves.
Telkom’s innovative pricing and telecommunications rollout strategy and implementation have had a positive effect on small business especially those in previously disadvantaged areas. A clear measure of the company’s success in this regard is the unprecedented demand for its offerings by SMEs. There exists no better endorsement for any company than customers flocking to acquire its products and services in the rate as it is happening for Telkom, and much to the chagrin of its detractors.
Much as the Forum believes that there is still plenty of miles to go before Telkom could be said to have walked its talk, a closer analysis of Telkom’s efforts at providing telecommunication services, especially in previously disadvantaged areas, paints a supreme picture of an organisation that continues to be more responsive to the needs of its customers. No wonder Telkom’s broadband offering, ADSL, is in such great demand in the SME sector, including those operating in previously disadvantaged areas.
Telkom has shown a great deal of maturity and sophistication regarding the need to accelerate affordable broadband penetration in previously disadvantaged areas. The company has begun to aggressively rollout ADSL in black townships – evidently a little fact of little or no consequence to its critics.
When the Forum first pointed out to Telkom last year the appalling state of broadband in black townships, the company reacted positively and begun to address the issue with more vigour. Not so ISPA members who really do not care about internet availability in previously disadvantaged areas. When confronted with the issue of lack of local internet POPs in the township and a low internet penetration level by ISPs in these areas, ISPA chose to obfuscate itself out of the issue. ISPA conveniently forgets that most of its members have VANS licenses and can provide voice as well as data services to all, including SMEs in previously disadvantaged areas.
Whereas ISPA continuously cries foul about Telkom’s dominance of the market, members of ISPA should be happy that Telkom is at least also expanding the available telecommunications market for them by extending broadband rollout in townships. ISPA’s repetitious whimpers are now becoming boring since ISPA do not seem to want to contribute positively to the telecommunications discourse in SA. In fact ISPA is patently known for its anti-transformation stance as evidenced through its attitude towards the ICT Charter, amongst others. ISPA also continues to perpetuate the status quo and it is the only organisation known to unashamedly disrespect and ridicule elected leaders in our government whilst at the same time soliciting their support and sympathy in their nefarious agenda.
Telkom, in partnership with Alcatel, recently launched a first in a series of sustainable public internet access facilities in Tembisa – an event that largely escaped the attention of the local media and Telkom’s detractors.
Telkom should be encouraged in its laudable efforts at bridging the digital divide and ensure that it gives the SNO and others a run for their money. The telecommunications industry needs strong competitors and not wimps such as some found in ISPA.
We trust that as it goes about its business of bridging the digital divide, Telkom does not get distracted by charlatans such as myADSL, ISPA and others. If ISPA and others cannot stand the heat in the kitchen, they should know better what to do!
Genesis Analytics should confine its comments and advise on issues that affect its Melrose Arch confines from where it seems to launch its scud missiles at Telkom from a position of opulence ostensibly on behalf of the underprivileged and poor communities.
As for myADSL, it shall remain just that! His (Rudolph Muller’s) lecture-room-based entity that is only concerned about the plight of the privileged few who seemingly live in a world of their own to the exclusion of the majority of the underprivileged has turned Telkom-bashing into its favourite pastime. Anyhow, MyADSL and ISPA continue to be as irrelevant to the majority of the underprivileged as they ever have been.
As for the FXI, it has certainly put a foot in its mouth on this one. Economics I dictate that the free market will vote with its wallet. Certainly poor people have given Telkom a resounding stamp of approval for its latest bouquet of services and products. Demand for Telkom Closer and Supreme Call packages seem to be extremely buoyant – and we wish for this to continue.
The SMME Forum fully endorses Telkom in its strides and views the innovative packages it has introduced as a step in the right direction. Telkom should be encouraged to do more and its critics should stop taking unnecessary pot-shots at the company and focus their energies on how we can all contribute to a better (telecommunications) place for all.
END OF STATEMENT
you're just discrediting the SMME Forum and yourself with vitriolic crap like this press release, suddenly I'm wondering if Mamadupi was the victim of a personal Khaas-vendetta - perhaps Mamadupi should sue Khaas for defamation when her extended tour @ ICASA ends...
