Telkom as Cellphone service provider??

[swartvark]

I'm thinking of moving away from Vodacom to TELKOM, as they offer much cheaper and nicer packages.
Are any of you guys using them?.........and how do you find their service?

[ChrisF]

Check yesterday's financial news ....

Seems Telkom is set to make a loss on this business unit. Have to wonder if this will be around for long.


We have a huge resistance to change, and MANY have tried to enter this market, none lasted long.


Look at how long CellC has tried to gain market share, and still they have never gained significant market share.


Certainly dont make MTN or VC "good", but clearly the new entrants dont last ....

[4x4BEES]

Am also looking to use them as the provide my internet already.
Just hope their service is better and more stable than the problems I had recently.
At least the problem is sorted for now, now that I am back at work fml

[Rusti]

Vodacom really scored when cell phone started here in SA and made a deal with government.. They had the rights to build all the towers etc on a 20 year contract in a joint effort with Telkom. Then Vodacom and Telkom went their own ways a few years ago.. That is when Vodacom changed their branding colour to red. 8ta Was then created by Telkom. The problem is that Vodacom now owns most of the towers in SA. Everyone else, MTN etc, bounces their signal off Vodacom towers and gets a weaker signal. 8ta now bounces like everyone else.

I've also seen great deals from them but I have only heard bad things about their connectivity and then their customer service.

After many years of having to have the latest phone and paying top dollar every month I realised that you can get great deals with Vodacom if you take slightly older phones and tablets.. I have a Samsung S5 now and it's great.. 1 or 2 phones down from the latest and much better deals.. Still a great phone, camera etc..

[Stef]

I have an S4 that I do not consider old.... or shall I say "outmoded". And my backup phone is an S3...

[ChrisF]

Duane 8-ta was rolling out their customer centres, and mid stride cancelled many a shop in malls across SA.

Virgin also tried something .....

Now FNB is trying it again. Using their existing premises they may just be able to pull off something. But as you say - they just bounce it off the existing grid.



I actually still worked for Telkom when Vodacom rolled out. I was involved with the air conditioning for each of the new tower bases .... In fact, MANY Vodacom installations were housed inside Telkom exchanges at the time. Not sure if these were since moved out into different buildings .... Not sure of the contractual links between Vodacom and Telkom at that early stage, but we were doing the work as if for Telkom ...

[ChrisF]

slightly off-topic -


how times change !!!!!!

around 1990 the new Telkom workshops in Montague Gardens were opened. Nearly 700 people reported here each day for work. This was one of about 9 similar setups in SA.

Forward to 1994/5 and our esteemed leaders of the day decided to privatise Telkom, even got firm offers from various over seas companies. BUT, the serious offers were exclusively only for the telkoms side, NOT for the technical backup facilities ...... And thus started a process that after 20 years is still not properly completed - to get rid of the "extra services".

Heard that one of the retail chains have now bought the Telkom premises in Montague Gardens .. to be demolished for yet another distribution Centre ....



Interesting that the most profitable time in Telkom's history was when it had its own technical departments ......



okay - daar is my memory trip ook nou klaar.