Monday, April 25, 2005
Under Serviced Area Licence - USAL
In recent months we have had to devote several programs to telecoms issues rather than web matters, this is because information and communication technologies are inextricably woven together, and because there have been so many serious telecommunications issues that we’ve had to deal with.
Most of these telecom stories have centered on alleged Telkom abuses and have not been very happy stories. Today we have a more encouraging telecom development.
It is about USALS – yes, another acronym – U.S.A.L. which stands for Under Serviced Area Licence.
Both King Goodwill Zwelithini and communications minister, Ivy Matsepe Cassaburri were present at a very grand event last week, where Vodacom announced the signing of agreements with five USALs.
So what really is a USAL? – I put this question to one of the holders – Zuzifa Buthelezi, chairman of Kingdom Communications:
IN: They looked at these areas . . . .
OUT: . . . . both fixed and wireless. DUR: 0’19”
It appears that most of the USALs will be providing voice services. But will they be able to provide data as well? Bevan Booy of Amatole telecommunications services:
IN: Yes, we’ll be offering . . . .
OUT: . . . . in a phased approach. DUR: 0’19”
In my understanding of the USALs, they will be able to provide cheaper services in their particular areas, because Vodacom will offer them favourable bulk rates. The underserviced areas will receive cheaper call rates, and they will benefit from additional employment opportunities.
Speaking to some of the new licence holders, I had the impression, that they did not have a huge amount of experience in the telecommunications business – so are they being set up to fail?
Well this thought must have crossed Minister Matsepe-Casaburri’s mind too, because she made a very public and not at all veiled threat to Vodacom saying that if the USALs failed, she has ways of getting at the largest cellphone operator in the country.
I asked the MD of Vodacom, Shameel Joosub, what his company was contributing to the project:
IN: Government has licenced . . . .
OUT: . . . . their own networks. DUR: 0’24”
That was Shameel Joosub, MD of Vodacom telling us about the Under Serviced Area Licensing initiative. A project aimed at providing information and communication technologies to the more isolated rural communities of country.
With that we close today’s edition of Cybersurf – next week I promise it will be only the ‘Net. Thanks for listening and remember to keeep on surfing.
Monday, April 18, 2005
ICASA hearings into Telkom’s pricing structure
Hello and good morning – this is Cybersurf, your favorite weekly update on internet matters and I am Steven Lang, your friendly Cyberhost.
Last week ICASA, the telecommunications regulator, began hearings into Telkom’s pricing structure for broadband, or ADSL. The ADSL service is simply, a quicker way of getting on to the Internet – it also provides much greater bandwidth so you can download more megabytes than a normal dial-up phone line.
Rudolph Muller of Myadsl, sums up the complaint against Telkom:
RCOST
IN: The ADSL service in
OUT: . . . . there’s no real excuse. DUR: 0’25”
Telkom claims to have more than sixty thousand ADSL clients – a farily significant number, but still quite small compared to the population as a whole. Why then are these hearings so important?
Well known economist, Nico Czypionka, believes that the future economy of this country is dependent on the success or failure of broadband:
IN: “I think the Telkom . . . .
OUT: . . . . have actively fostered.” DUR:0’16”
Steven White of Telkom is adamant that the telecommunications giant is not over pricing its services. He also refutes allegations that consumers are being made to pay twice for the same line – once for phone lines and once for ADSL:
IN: “ Clearly no, the line rental . . . .
OUT: . . . . . provide a quality service. DUR: 0’30”
RSURVEY
IN: ”We challenged that survey . . ..
OUT: . . . . he has not done that.” DUR: 0’19
During the course of the ICASA hearings, Telkom’s ADSL service was frequently compared to similar services in other countries. Telkom rejected these comparisons saying that each country has its own unique set of circumstances.
Councillor Mamodupi Mohlala, the ICASA chairperson at the hearings, believes that there is value in making such comparisons.
MOHLALA
IN: During the course of the hearings . . . .
OUT: . . . . need to take these into account.” DUR: 0’29”
That was ICASA’s Mamodupi Mohlala, who is chairing the hearings which close later today. If you are interested in the future of broadband in this country, go along to the ICASA headquarters as soon as possible. The hearings are open to the public, and I believe that fireworks are on the menu for today.
With that, we close today’s edition of Cybersurf – thanks for listening and remember to keeeeep on surfing . . . . .
Monday, April 11, 2005
Charles Webster’s outsourcing business
Hello good mornng and welcome to Cybersurf where we talk about the internet and web matters in general. I am your official Cyberhost Steven Lang.
If you’ve heard your friends suddenly trying to speak American or others becoming frigtfully British, don’t worry, they’re not having a nationality crisis, they’re probably trying to get a job in an out-sourced call centre.
We hear that these call centres, using Voice over IP are becoming big business.
But it is not only call centres that can be outsourced. Charles Webster, an internet consultant and regular guest here on Cybersurf, currently earns his living from a different type of outsourcing:
IN: Well, Steve, essentially . . .
OUT: . . . . we deliver at the price.
Charles Webster explaining to us how he creatively uses the internet to earn a living for himself and generate foreign currency for the country.
If you would like to discuss his or any other ideas with Charles, I promise to forward any e-mails to him.
That’s it for today, thanks for listening and remember to keeeeep on surfing.
Monday, April 04, 2005
Passing of the Pope and Mondo Times
Over much of this weekend, I spent a lot of time watching SKY, CNN and BBC while at the same time monitoring half a dozen web sites that were closely following the final hours of the Pope.
It did not take me long to work out, however, that all the major news organisations were sourcing their information from one or two Italian news agencies. The Italians clearly had an inside track on this one – and Italian translators must have been charging a fortune this weekend.
It was quite interesting to watch how quickly news web sites from all over the world quickly translated and repeated whatever their Italian counterparts were carrying.
And as I was busy updating the SABCnews.com feature page on the Pope, I thought that the best source of information would be to go to the Italian directly.
The Vatican web site at www.vatican.va was totally overloaded and became for all practical purposes unusable, however, the Italian news agency ANSA- which you will find by typing A.N.S.A dot I.T – was cooking all through the night and did not appear to have any difficulty in coping.
Another valuable source of information about the Pope and
Now if you are interested in finding news web sites in other countries, here is a tip from Charles Webster – who as a PR consultant – is often very interested in contacting news organisations in other countries.
IN: The Mondo Times. . . . (http://www.mondotimes.com/)
OUT: . . . . nice for my client.
Charles Webster is a PR consultant who makes extensive use of the internet. Next week, he is going to share with us some of his trade secrets – telling us how as a consultant for a multi-national company, he manages to service clients all over the world.
And so we wrap up today’s edition of Cybersurf. If you are looking for any of the addresses mentioned in the program – please go to cybersurf.blogspot.com where you will find the script to today’s program. That address once again – cybersurf.blogspot.com
Thanks for listening and remember – to keeeep on surfing.
