| |
 |
|
4
Nov 1999 |
The Pretoria High Court yesterday dismissed with costs the
application by six value added network services (Vans) operators for a
temporary interdict lodged against Telkom, the fixed line utility, to
prevent it from terminating services.
The court said the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
(Satra) had first to resolve the issue around the legality of certain
services provided by Vans operators.
Amanda Singleton, the Telkom group executive for corporate communications,
said Te... |
| |
|
|
3
Nov 1999 |
Telkom, the fixed-line utility, said yesterday it expected a further slump in net profit from last year`s R1,9 billion in the year to March 31 2000 because of restructuring.
However, it declined to give estimates, citing the unavailability of audited interim results.
Sizwe Nxasana, the chief executive, said by September the company would have spent more than R2 billion on restructuring, which consisted of network modernisation and rehabilitation.
Retrenchment expenditure "could go up to R1,2 billi... |
| |
|
|
3
Nov 1999 |
The public hearings into the awarding of a third cellular licence, amid claims that they were just "a window-dressing exercise", are over.
Nevertheless, all the underserviced and unserviced parts of South Africa, particularly the rural areas, eagerly await the pending decision of the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (Satra) to award the third cellular licence on Christmas eve, as planned.
Then, finally, the disadvantaged will be able to look forward to accessing direct telecommuni... |
| |
|
|
2
Nov 1999 |
Telkom, the fixed-line utility, said yesterday its "massive" PrepaidFone service developed 14 months ago would allow it to provide network access to lower-income groups and help them "to tightly manage their telephony costs".
Telkom said the prepaid service, the world`s first for a fixed line, was already used by 180 000 customers and was growing at a rapid rate.
Zeona Motshabi, the executive for corporate affairs at Telkom, said PrepaidFone allowed customers to budget for telephone usage at home and ... |
| |
|
|
27
Oct 1999 |
TELKOM said on Wednesday that an independent audit has proved that consumers are not charged for telephone calls that engaged or unanswered. The audit comes after persistent accusations by consumers that Telkom bills customers for engaged and unanswered calls. Telkom said that the audit showed that 1,34% of the 11100 calls were logged as engaged or unanswered. These were made to answering machines, numbers connected to modems, alarm systems, faulty customer equipment, Telkom's diversion service or to anothe... |
| |
|
|
19
Oct 1999 |
Vodacom, South Africa`s biggest cellular network operator, yesterday made a friendly offer to buy the entire issued share capital of Teljoy Holdings, the JSE-listed cellular service provider, for R7,50 a share, valuing Teljoy at R870 million.
Teljoy`s share price rocketed by 87c, or 13,9 percent, to R7,12 yesterday.
Vodacom said the acquisition, which was a build-up on the 25 percent it already held in Teljoy`s cellular services division, would be funded through an asset-backed funding arrangement wit... |
| |
|
|
2
Oct 1999 |
Up to 5 000 Telkom workers were at risk of losing their jobs as the company entered the third stage of its programme of improving competitiveness and efficiency, the Communications Workers Union (CWU) said yesterday.
Seleboho Kiti, the secretary general of CWU, said labour would not support retrenchments, especially when viewed against the background of rampant job losses throughout the economy.
The union would be studying the details of the process as presented by Telkom yesterday and respond in due ... |
| |
|
|
28
Sept 1999 |
JP Morgan, the US investment bank, must be less than pleased about choosing Telkom as the subject for its seminar at the US-South Africa finance forum in New York last week. An advantage of being a sponsor was that you got to host the seminar of your choice.
Morgan chose to focus on "premier South African corporation Telkom", which continued its strategy of winning friends and influencing people by failing to show - forcing the last-minute cancellation of the session.
Edick Lehapa, Telkom`s chief exec... |
| |
|
|
23
Sept 1999 |
Gavin Foster explains why we should welcome the third cellphone operator with open arms
Two's company, but three's a crowd. That's the line taken by cellphone giants MTN and Vodacom, who both believe that the soon-to- be-announced third player in the cellular game will have a long, hard slog ahead before realising profits.
But it's likely that consumers will benefit. Another network will most likely mean improved service and a wider range of options, as well as lower prices - although just how much they... |
| |
|
|
22
Sept 1999 |
Telkom, the fixed line utility, yesterday said the third cellular licence should be the same as the existing licences held by Vodacom and MTN.
Telkom justified this view by claiming the licence condition, which stipulates that a licencee shall provide comprehensive services including voice telephony, data transmission and any mobile telecommunications services, was misleading.
"It creates the impression that the licencee shall be entitled to provide voice telephony in any manner or form," said Telkom.... |
| |
|
|
17
Sept 1999 |
CYBER-HACKERS broke into Statistics South Africa's official statistics website on Monday, replacing details of the latest consumer price index with a slew of obscenities railing against Telkom. Visitors to the site, which normally provides information on staid topics such as manufacturing production and gross domestic product growth, were met instead with a foulmouthed tirade against Telkom's alleged shortcomings. "Telkom stop your...lame-ass monopoly or we will disconnect you," the hackers warned, among ot... |
| |
|
|
15
Sept 1999 |
BY PHILLIP DE WET, ITWEB NEWS EDITOR
[Johannesburg, 15 September 1999] - The triangular slug-fest between the South African Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (SATRA), Telkom and the South African Value-Added Network Association (SAVA) is set to escalate.
SATRA has refused to comment on the matter, saying that it is unable to respond to hearsay and that no documentation has been received from Telkom regarding the matter. But the authority did say it had been served by lawyer's letters from Telk... |
| |
|
|
15
Sept 1999 |
THE strike at telecoms parastatal Telkom is finally over, after the company and the Communication Wokers Union reached agreement late on Tuesday.
In terms of the deal, the minimum wage goes up by 9,3%, while support staff get 7% and operational staff 6% across the board.
Telkom spokeswoman Amanda Singleton said in a statement: "This means that all forms of protected industrial action are now over. All Telkom employees will return to work at full productivity as of [Wednesday]."
Tuesday 5.10pm:
A ... |
| |
|
|
14
Sept 1999 |
BY PHILLIP DE WET, ITWEB NEWS EDITOR
[Johannesburg, 14 September 1999] - Telkom is having a really bad month. The continuing lockout of striking members of the Communications Workers Union saw its Pretoria offices' reception trashed and sabotage to the network was reported.
Changes to the pricing structure for calls to the cellular networks, due to be implemented on 20 September, are being disputed by the South African Telephony Managers Association.
Business Against Crime in Cape Town says Telko... |
| |
|
|
14
Sept 1999 |
Telkom reported back to parliament last week on the progress made during the first two years of its mandates and social responsibilities.
Telkom`s report focused on its network modernisation and expansion programme rather than on exact figures for fault reporting and clearance, the areas in which Telkom had previously missed targets.
Telkom said it had met 14 out of 16 licence line-related and service-quality targets, that it had contributed R1,8 billion to the government in taxes and dividends and pa... |
|
