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20
Jan 2005 |
The Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) is adamant the regulator needs to provide clarity on the scope of value-added network services (VANS) and make changes to the black economic empowerment (BEE) shareholding requirements, before any licensing issues can be properly resolved.
This was the thrust of ISPA's presentation during the first day of the Independent Communications Authority of SA's (ICASA's) public hearings into the proposed VANS regulatory framework.
According to Ant Brooks, ch... |
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20
Jan 2005 |
Telkom has responded to the SMME Forum's criticism of its latest tariff increases, saying the organisation's allegations reveal some misunderstanding of the facts of the matter.
The monopoly says it has been following a policy of rebalancing its tariffs to become more competitive within its total basket of services, which has resulted in increases in local call rates, and reductions in long distance and international rates.
”The overall benefit we gained from the rate adjustments is a mere 0.2%, illu... |
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19
Jan 2005 |
Johannesburg - Tata, the Indian conglomerate that is represented in South Africa by its subsidiary Tata Africa, is the chosen bidder for the controlling interest in the second fixed-line operator (SNO), a source close to the process told Sake on Tuesday.
The department of communication did not want to make any statement about who the preferred shareholder is for the SNO but said it would make an announcement about the matter before the end of the quarter.
Tata and Old Mutual Asset Managers (Omam) wer... |
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18
Jan 2005 |
The Internet Service Providers' Association (ISPA) has called on the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) to provide urgent clarity on the types of services that are considered to be value-added network services (VANS).
This comes ahead of the public hearings on the regulator's proposed new regulations for VANS providers, which are to be held at ICASA's offices at Pinmill Farm, Sandton later this week.
According to ISPA, the organisation has been seeking clarity from ICASA on the VANS is... |
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17
Jan 2005 |
Johannesburg - In joining a flurry of South African organisations that have slammed Telkom's new rates, the SMME Forum said Icasa's decision to okay the 2005 adjustments was incongruent with the government's efforts to encourage growth in the SMME sector.
"More than others, we also call on Icasa to ensure that this broad daylight robbery is reversed. Telkom must be pressured to revise its domestic call pricing downwards," the SMME president Tebogo Khaas said on Monday.
"The 5.5% increase in the cost ... |
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17
Jan 2005 |
ICT analyst firm BMI-TechKnowledge is to release a report focusing on the opportunities that exist for value-added network service (VANS) providers and Internet service providers (ISPs) in the soon-to-be deregulated local telecoms industry.
According to Brian Neilson, BMI-T's director of research, most analysts had assumed the emerging regulatory changes, including the forthcoming convergence legislation, would take place relatively slowly, without any sudden revolutionary changes.
“The latest round ... |
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17
Jan 2005 |
The SMME Forum has launched a scathing attack on Telkom's latest tariff adjustments, claiming it is incongruent with government's efforts to encourage growth in the sector.
The thrust of its argument is that the monopoly's 5.5% increase in the cost of domestic telephone calls will ultimately most affect those who cannot afford alternative means of communication such as least-cost routing or voice over IP (VOIP).
“Like credit, those who need it can't get it, while it is always available to those who d... |
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14
Jan 2005 |
South African fixed-line monopoly Telkom and the Department of Communications portfolio organisation noted on Friday that Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri's liberalisation determination on public payphones was a deviation from the Telecommunications Act.
Last September, the minister said value-added network service (Vans) networks can, effective from February 1, provide voice services and hence included the provision of payphone services on Vans networks.
Making its oral presentation a... |
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14
Jan 2005 |
Johannesburg - Telkom and the department of communications portfolio organisation noted on Friday that Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri's liberalisation determination on public pay phones was a deviation from the Telecommunications Act.
Last September, the minister said value added network service (Vans) networks can, effective from February 1, provide voice services and hence included the provision of payphone services on Vans networks.
Making its oral presentation at the Independent Co... |
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12
Jan 2005 |
Johannesburg - Telkom has increased its capacity to deal with faults on its system, especially after the recent storms in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape, the company said on Wednesday.
Spokesman Ravin Maharaj said in a statement that Telkom has "mobilised all its available technicians".
"Technicians are working around the clock, including over weekends, to restore services," he said.
More staff would also be on duty between 7pm and 11pm at the fault reporting call centre (number 10212).
M... |
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11
Jan 2005 |
Johannesburg - Telkom announced on Tuesday that it is conducting trials on next-generation WiMAX broadband wireless connectivity.
The trials are part of on-going efforts to find a solution that is expected to lead to high-speed, broadband wireless access across several kilometres for Telkom customers.
Telkom and Intel recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate in the trials for the technology in a bid to facilitate a wireless alternative for the "last mile" broadband connectiv... |
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11
Jan 2005 |
Dual-listed Telkom, South Africa's largest broadband provider, announced on Tuesday that it is conducting trials on next-generation WiMAX broadband wireless connectivity.
The trials are part of ongoing efforts to find a solution that is expected to lead to high-speed, broadband wireless access across several kilometres for Telkom customers.
The phone group and Intel recently signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the trials in a bid to facilitate a wireless alternative for the "last m... |
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5
Jan 2005 |
Johannesburg - The Democratic Alliance (DA) has said Communications Minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri is to blame for what has been described as exorbitant and monopolistic tariffs introduced by Telkom last Saturday.
DA shadow minister for communications Dene Smuts told I-Net Bridge on Wednesday that everything had gone wrong in 2000 for 2001 when Matsepe-Casaburri refused to ratify the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) proposed tariff cuts.
Consequently "we have had many deba... |
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5
Jan 2005 |
Johannesburg - In expressing its dismay at Telkom's new tariffs for 2005, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Wednesday accused the fixed-line monopoly of 'milking' poor South Africans to support tourists.
Despite raking in a profit of R2.77bn for the six months to September 2004, Telkom pushed through tariff increases disadvantaging local consumers.
Telkom has made much fanfare of the fact it would only increase tariffs by an average of 0.2%, but a breakdown of the tariff increase... |
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5
Jan 2005 |
In expressing its dismay at Telkom's new tariffs for 2005, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Wednesday accused the fixed-line monopoly of "milking" poor South Africans to support tourists.
With effect from January 1, Telkom increased the cost of local calls and calls to cellphones while reducing international destination-bound rates by an average of 28%.
While outgoing calls to cellular services have risen to R1,89 per minute, calls to Australia, Canada, France, Greece, Ireland, ... |
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