SNO: Isn't it a little too late?

ADSL South Africa (Broadband South Africa), 11 July 2006

Does the SNO (Second National Operator) really has what’s needed to take Telkom on? Do the SNO really has the drive to satisfy consumers’ thirst for service excellence? Isn’t it all a little too late? Billions and billions of our hard earned money (in reference to the majority of us) already disappeared into the ‘belly of the beast’.

This is however not the reason for the question posed because we all know in formal terms that the SNO was conceived to bring an end to the monopoly in the fixed-line telecommunication market of South Africa. The reason for the question posed is the conflicting media reports on the state of affairs in regard to the SNO. One really has to take every piece of information with a ‘pinch of salt’. It’s however a known fact that the launch of the SNO has been held up more than once due to infighting among shareholders. Let’s hope most of the infighting is not due to GREED.

GREED is what’s driving Telkom. GREED is what turned Telkom into a ‘beast’. If GREED is the main factor driving the shareholders of the SNO then they already overstayed their welcome. GREED is not a factor that will ever satisfy the thirst for service excellence or decency for that matter. Anyone telling you the contrary is a boldfaced liar.

The SNO shareholders need to understand a few things before attempting to launch any service. First of all, consumers in South Africa don’t owe you a cent. Your primary duty is to hold Telkom back from further destroying the noble idea of serving one’s community rather than one’s own belly. If you count yourself as decent you will come out fighting the ‘beast’ and not the embattled consumers. If not you will go down in history as just another bunch of ‘greedy beasts’. ICASA has already become a joke. We count on you to get us safely through the storm.

The SNO is expected to launch consumer services for the broader public in the first quarter of 2007.