Subscribe

SNO insider indicates roll-out delay

Nicola Mawson
By Nicola Mawson, Contributor.
Johannesburg, 31 Jul 2006

An e-mail from an employee at the second national operator (SNO) indicates the implementation of wholesale services has been delayed until year-end, a statement the SNO denies.

An electronic communication from Archisman Mozumder to a prospective consumer states "the SNO had targeted the roll-out of its initial wholesale services to select customers (other telecom operators) by the end of 2006".

This communication contradicts a statement by the SNO on 4 July, that: "The SNO has targeted the launch of its initial wholesale services in mid-2006, and in line with this projection, plans are well under way towards introducing international wholesale voice and some international data service to other telecom operators."

However, the SNO confirms it is still on track with the operation and is close to launching wholesale services.

MD Ajay Pandey adds in the 4 July statement that the SNO has "adopted a phased approach to rolling out its services. We are currently in discussion with various potential customers and are now in advanced stages of readiness to deliver."

However, the e-mail from within the SNO, while repeating the same comments made by Pandey, clearly indicates that initial roll-out has been targeted for year-end.

Pandey and Mozumder, however, both state that as the network is deployed countrywide, it will "gradually start providing enterprise solutions towards the end of this calendar year and consumer services for the broader public in the first quarter of next year".

Related stories:
SNO to buy R748m Eskom network
SNO is on track
Feet stuck in the SNO

Share