Comments on: SA’s future broadband scenario

By: [SearchZA] Power Hike Could Benefit Data Centres | Send SPAM E-mail to Us

[SearchZA] Power Hike Could Benefit Data Centres | Send SPAM E-mail to Us — Sat, 01 May 2010 10:03:09 +0000

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By: Wessel van Rensburg

Wessel van Rensburg — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:18:13 +0000

Still, its uneconomical to split the network. So while this my solve upstream issues, the real battle will become access to the so-called ‘last mile’ to the home.

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By: Minnaar Pieters

Minnaar Pieters — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 06:43:45 +0000

Thank you for your comment Steve. What is great is that under new legislation it is not only the big networks who can lay down their own infrastructure. So the disruptive product might very well come from an ISP who has put down it its own network.

Even if we get 10Gig and 1mb/s for the same prices we pay now I think it is a step in the right direction.

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By: steve

steve — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 13:51:46 +0000

“This will lead to increasing pressure from end users, and then we can wait for an ISP to offer a “disruptive product” which will cause all subsequent offers from ISPs to drop tremendously in price.”

I doubt this very much. I think Neohell’s current batch of (still way overpriced) products are about as disruptive as you’re going to get. Do you honestly think that a Vodacom or an MTN or a Telkom will suddenly halve its prices? There will be consolidation in the ISP market and once a few majors are left they will (like all big business in SA) begin to collude on pricing, no matter who they buy their bandwidth from. As to pressure from end users - after all the pressure of the last few years we’re still sitting with 3GB caps and 384 speeds. We will probably have to be greatful for having 10Gig at 1mb/s for the same prices we pay now.

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By: Doug

Doug — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 12:42:36 +0000

Too little too late???

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By: Nick

Nick — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 07:17:35 +0000

I am using Telkom’s new 7.2 Mbps HSDPA on its network,this is the fastest broadband line in SA, but it is 3G and cost about R 165.00 per Gig compared to ADSL that is about R65.00 per Gig.I hope that with the new seacom’s cable I can get more Bandwidth for the same price.

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By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:42:32 +0000

To suggest that EASSY and TEAMS are ‘unlikely’ is a gross misrepresentation of the truth. Only yesterday it was confirmed that TEAMS will be launched next month, and EASSY is also progressing well - with the submarine survey complete and cable manufacture well underway. Well done to Seacom for being first to market, but let’s relish the fact that Africa will soon be supplied by a number of cable systems - which will give buyers assured connectivity via a choice of cables, and a truly competitive market for international capacity. When the price of capacity between London and S. Africa is the same as that between London and India, then we’ll have a truly competitive marketplace - and then we’ll find out which of the cables has a sustainable business model!

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By: Wessel van Rensburg

Wessel van Rensburg — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:47:55 +0000

The challenge to deliver to the last mile still remains. Big fat pipes over a long distance, even through the sea is the easy part.

Because it does not make economical sense to build even two networks down the same street as both the Brits and US have found.

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By: Minnaar Pieters

Minnaar Pieters — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:41:10 +0000

Thanks for your feedback Justin - I have tremendous respect for Neotel for also doing the investment in decent infrastructure within cities and town. Just hope they implement it soon enough.

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By: justinspratt

justinspratt — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:23:38 +0000

nice piece. you could also give kudos to Neotel and IS for being the lead investors in this.

This is even more important in the context of a plethora of cables that have never got out the starting blocks: EASSy, TEAMs, WACs, SAFE, WACs. Of these only WACs is likely, and that is in 2011.

Seacom started later and is actually going to deliver. Remarkable. And much of it is thanks to the early investors that showed faith - Venfin, Convergence… and Neotel and IS as buyers.

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