Neotel does it again - not!

Admittedly, this has been a slow news week, with Monday being a public holiday and all. However, the one bit of interesting news was that the second national operator (SNO) has once again not delivered on its promises.

Ok, perhaps it's not that interesting, and most certainly not surprising. But, as I said, it's been a slow week. Anyway, Neotel, in August, stated it would hold a launch in September, saying it would be the "biggest event Neotel has ever had" and would focus on what it plans to offer business and consumers.

And to think: I was even going to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Needless to say, nothing happened. When taken to task by ITWeb, Neotel spokesperson Mala Suriah said the SNO would make the announcement "very soon, definitely this year".

Really? News flash - there ain't all that much left of this year! So again, the saviour of SA's telecoms market has tripped and fallen on its face. At least it's being consistent.

Oh yeah, the excuse this time was priceless. Suriah blamed the latest delay on Infraco, the new state-owned broadband infrastructure company. "It was a real show-stopper," she says.

Eh? There were a couple of Parliamentary discussions and such about the licensing of Infraco, but hardly a "real show-stopper".

Never before have I seen such a reluctant bunch. But, anyway, I'm really repeating myself here. On a final note, whatever Neotel does is bound to be its "biggest event" ever - that much is true. After all, it's done nothing yet. As for whether it will happen this year... well, you know where my money is.

Whatever Neotel does is bound to be its "biggest event" ever - that much is true. After all, it's done nothing yet.

Martin Czernowalow, news editor, ITWeb

The Department of Transport has again been hard at work to solve the problem of congestion on South African roads. Some serious head-scratching went into the latest solution. Wait for it - ramp metering! Hooray!

Now, this plan is pure genius. As a pilot, the project is part of the SA National Road Agency Limited's ongoing efforts to use IT to keep traffic flowing on the N1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria.

So this is how it all works: A ramp meter is a smart traffic light on the onramp to a highway that, by alternating between red and green every few seconds, breaks up the flow of traffic onto the freeway. The meter is supervised real-time by closed-circuit television and via an intelligent traffic management system.

This is how it really works: A ramp meter is a traffic light that causes congestion on the onramp to stagger the congestion on the highway. Essentially, the idea is to move the congestion from one place to another. Really quite simple.

Government is spending millions of your hard-earned money on this. I have a suggestion, though: public transport!

Here's a game I would like to play with transport minister Jeff Radebe: I say "traffic", you say "taxi". I say "congestion", you say "bus". I say "inadequate road capacity", you say "train". Catch my drift?

Oh, hang on. Isn't this the wunderkind who previously introduced "Don't-take-your-car-to-work-day"? We're more screwed than I thought.

Communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri has assumed the office of the presidency. No, this is not a tasteless joke, or some bad nightmare.

Ok, so I said this was a slow week. And before any of you run out to the barn to hang yourself in panic, fortunately, this was only in an acting capacity.

Thabo and Phumzi were travelling aboard. Luckily, they have both returned safely, God bless them. And luckily, this happened before Ivy could apply her special brand of politicking to other matters of state.

That was a close one.