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18
Jan 2011 |
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Government's special rights in Telkom expire in six weeks' time. It must avoid the temptation to install a puppet to lead the group. Facing a growing list of challenges, Telkom needs to hire a CEO who can make tough decisions without interference. Jeffrey Hedberg's decision to step down as Telkom 's (acting) CEO at the end of March is a big blow for a group that has had three CEOs in just five years. It's proved unsettling for investors, who again pushed down Telkom's already depressed share price by as... |
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14
Jan 2011 |
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Telkom's acting CEO Jeffrey Hedberg has decided not to renew his contract at the end of March this year, company spokesperson Pynee Chetty said on Friday. "However, he remains committed to the Telkom team and all of the company's stakeholders until the end of his term," Chetty added in a statement. No reason was given for Hedberg's decision. In December, the Communications Workers Union (CWU) accused Hedberg of hiring former Cell C executives at high cost. Hedberg was CEO of Cell C before joining Telkom.... |
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14
Jan 2011 |
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Investors have responded negatively to news that Telkom's acting CEO, Jeffrey Hedberg, will leave the organisation at the end of March. Telkom has yet to officially inform its shareholders of the impending exit through the mandatory Stock Exchange News Service (SENS). Telkom shares lost 3.24 percent in value during the first hour of trade this morning, selling for under R36 a share. A half hour later, more than 850 000 shares had traded hands, well over the daily average of transactions since mid-December... |
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14
Jan 2011 |
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The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said on Friday that it had written a letter to telecommunications operator Neotel, demanding that it be invited to necessary consultation sessions regarding its restructuring exercise, which is likely to result in job losses. Neotel said in December that it was considering "realignment and restructuring" as it evaluated its business strategy. "Neotel is in the process of evaluating its business strategy, operational performance, efficiency and competitiveness with a... |
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13
Jan 2011 |
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Residents in Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Paarl and Wellington are, by now, used to workers along the sides of their roads digging narrow trenches and laying down brightly coloured blue plastic tubingђ. In fact, this is the first roll-out of Vodacom Businesss fibre-optic network in the area. Fibre-optic cabling is important to applications like the Internet, telephone systems and, in some countries, cable TV.... |
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13
Jan 2011 |
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Converged communications company Neotel has a fight on its hands as the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and Solidarity Workers Union prepare to fight tooth and nail to protect its members from proposed retrenchments at the company. SA's second national fixed-line operator recently confirmed it may retrench staff as the company is not performing in line with expectations. A process involving staff consultation is currently under way and Neotel says some jobs may become redundant. Both Solidarity and the ... |
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13
Jan 2011 |
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Continuing its two-step routine around the question of the factual accuracy of the controversial Telkom whistle-blowing dossier, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) now maintains it "does not matter" whether it stands by the allegations in the document. Despite the belligerent nature of the widely-distributed CWU dossier, which surfaced in December and alleges gross corruption at the telecoms giant, the union can still not say whether it actually stands by the contents of the document. The report zeroes... |
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12
Jan 2011 |
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Despite ongoing customer complaints, SA's second mobile operator, MTN, denies it is experiencing any issues with its billing system, which has been known to be problematic in the past. According to consumer complaints on Web site HelloPeter.com, MTN subscribers have had ongoing issues relating to over-billing or unauthorised billing. The complaints raised are reminiscent of last year's issues relating to the operator's then new billing system. Subsequent to the implementation of the new system, MTN was ... |
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11
Jan 2011 |
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Rapid expansion of third mobile operator Cell C's new HSPA+ network is under way, as the company reports that coverage targets for the Gauteng region, as well as national coverage, have been met and exceeded. In November, Gauteng received full access to the network; however, coverage was limited to 62 percent of the population in the Johannesburg and Pretoria metro areas. At the time, Cell C CEO Lars Reichelt explained the coverage area is not what the company hoped for, due to a World Cup network freeze... |
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11
Jan 2011 |
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Telecoms incumbent Telkom and local Internet service provider (ISP) MWeb have yet to reach any resolution regarding MWeb's unilateral demands for open peering. Despite MWeb's good intentions for competition in the industry, analysts suggest the ISP may have to compromise on its standpoint first in order to break the stalemate with Telkom. MWeb says discussion with Telkom regarding peering is ongoing. However, Telkom says: "MWeb's request for peering was considered by Telkom. At this stage, the request was... |
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11
Jan 2011 |
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Drive around SA city streets and you'll soon notice Telkom's green and blue distribution cabinets, like the one pictured above near TechCentral's offices in Johannesburg, writes Candice Jones. Soon distribution cabinets of various colours could be popping up next to Telkom's street boxes, thanks to local-loop unbundling. And their arrival could herald a steep reduction in fixed-line broadband costs for consumers and businesses. Telkom's distribution boxes, many of which now have fibre-optic cables running... |
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10
Jan 2011 |
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The Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) is taking a bold gamble in its efforts to unbundle the local loop, the last mile of Telkom's copper cables that connect consumers to the fixed-line network. The authority is hoping facilities-leasing regulations, in place since last year, can be used to allow other licensed telecommunications companies access to Telkom's last-mile network. The process is likely to prove controversial. However, it may help promote competition. Many countries that have ... |
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10
Jan 2011 |
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Telkom looks set for a big management shake-up in the next few months as government moves to appoint a permanent CEO and a chairman to lead the telecommunications group. The two crucial roles are likely to be filled before governments special rights in the group expire on 5 March. Those rights give it the ability to appoint the chairman and give it a say in who is appointed as CEO. Talk in the management corridors at Telkom is that government may replace chairman Jeff Molobela, who was appointed to the... |
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6
Jan 2011 |
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The communications regulator stands firm by its November deadline for local loop unbundling (LLU). This is despite Telkom's warning that the deadline is unrealistic, given the regulatory challenges and lack of clarity holding back the process. However, the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) maintains the regulatory process for ensuring the LLU implementation will unfold during the course of 2011, through a full public consultation process, to iron out any "uncertainty". The last mile, or ... |
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6
Jan 2011 |
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Icasa has dropped a bombshell on the telecommunications industry. The regulatory authority reckons Internet service providers and other telecoms licensees are entitled - right now - to access Telkom's local loop. The regulatory framework already exists for telecoms licensees to demand access to Telkom's copper infrastructure to provide services, without having to wait for specific directives on local-loop unbundling. The remarks, by Icasa councillor Thabo Makhakhe, are likely to prove explosive in a... |
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