…download time remaining is more than 1 year

The ADSL download of the same amount of data (unless Telkom tries to save face an boosts the line speed) is expected to take up to 2 days. Let that sink in a bit. 2 Days versus a bird flying 45-60 minutes.

This from OneLargePrawn.co.za: “Already people have placed more favour with the pigeon over the telco giant – a commenter on The Times article feels that the pigeon will be faster even if it walks.”

At the time of writing this there is not official word yet of the winner on the twitter feed, but I’m guessing it’s a done deal, sometime in the next 2 days the ADSL download will be finished, and  Winston will be the official winner.

Outsiders to South Africa might think this is a silly little rant, but the truth is the total incompetence of Telkom has been crippling this country since the dawn of the internet. We’ve been left behind in the digital age, hobbling along with candles on the side of the road while the rest of the world zooms past in flashy cars on the virtual Autobahn. It’s virtually impossible to run a proper internet based company in South Africa. Totally impossible competing in the global market since our bandwidth is simply too expensive - last time I did research up to 100x more than the USA, and our speed does not even begin to compare.

This is a copy of a full page ad run in the Mail & Guardian some time ago, paid for by the public (via BizCommunity)

THE MORE OF THIS YOU READ, THE MORE INFURIATED YOU’LL BECOME.Last year, Telkom recorded a staggering R9.3 billion in pure profit. At your expense. Read on and find out why South Africans continue to pay some of the highest prices for telephony services in the world.

Don’t expect the government to step in. They couldn’t give a hoot. They’ve got a 38% shareholding. This in itself is like a ticket to act with impunity.

And anyway, it’s the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) which acts as the watchdog for the telecommunications industry. Their central role is to regulate telecommunications in the public interest. So how come they’re not barking noisily and waking up the country about the fact that South Africans pay five times as much for a local call now than they did in 1996?

Or that internet access in South Africa is among the most expensive in the world (in fact, you’ll pay less for broadband in Morocco, Egypt, Botswana, and Mozambique)? Or that Telkom is only too happy to pay a R15 million fine for failing to deliver basic services where “it was not economical to do so” (Hold the phone, could that be your area they were talking about?)

Worse still, Telkom has laid off over 35 000 staff over the past seven years, ensuring that its profits continue sky-rocketing while the rest of the country continues at a snail’s pace, waiting up to six inexcusable months or more, to get connected. To anything.

And all this from a company that is supposedly “proudly South African”? Indeed, something is very wrong when the only way the public can get through to Telkom is by running a full page newspaper advertisement.

Because clearly, Telkom isn’t answering the phone.

This advert was paid for by individuals who are extremely concerned about the state of SA’s telecoms industry and the effects that government mismanagement of the sector are having on our economy. Please add your voice to ours. you can start by pulling out this page and passing it on, or posting it on your office or university noticeboard. Join us at online consumer activist groups www.tag.org.za and www.myadsl.co.za and make a difference.

There is competition going for guessing the winner and winning time, see the race site and their Facebook page for details.

I’m curios about Telkom’s lack of response to this potentially very embarrassing situation? Will they perhaps give that particular ADSL line a bit of a boost today?