Once again I am faced with a frustrating day of minimal to no access of the internet via my Vodacom 3G card.
With purported speeds of 3.2Mbps it takes an average of 8 minutes to load a web page.
Vodacom’s call centre has very patient people who must be dealing with a fair amount of abuse, which I am sure they take home with them because I don’t believe that Vodacom the company listens to the opinions or insights of their call centre employees.
The standard line, that I have heard many times, is that Telkom (South Africa’s monopolistic communications provider) is having a problem which has been passed on to Vodacom. This is probably true, but places us simple users in a quandary. Who should hear our complaint?
The problem seems to have a very, very long food chain, and the likelihood of the chief predator hearing the bottom of the food chain consumer is very wishful thinking.
If I change my service provider, I still end up in the hands of Telkom.
The internet has become an essential infrastructural requirement for most businesses, much the same as electricity supply, roads and air travel.
We keep getting fed the line that our infrastructure in South Africa is far better than the rest of Africa. What a yardstick! Surely our comparison target should be a little higher?
Our businesses need to trade and compete in first world countries. This could be embarrassing, but the wonderful excuse that we are in Africa causes knowing nods from my overseas associates and I am sure that their decisions are tainted by this fact.
I really wish our marketplace at the bottom of Africa was large enough to allow serious competitors into all essential services.
