Rumba disconnected, but by whom?

Johannesburg, 04 Aug 2004

New low-cost Internet service provider (ISP) Rumba`s customers have lost their Internet connection for the second time in six weeks, due to an alleged attempt by the company to poach customers from ISP Internet Solutions (IS).

It is not yet clear who is responsible for the disconnection, with both IS and its client XSInet, which provides Rumba with Internet access, denying any involvement.

Rumba marketing director Moira Tolkin says the company`s connectivity was suspended last Friday due to an e-mail allegedly sent to IS clients, offering them Internet access and e-mail for R49 per month.

Rumba denies any knowledge of a mail sent from agentsales@rumba.co.za, which is an e-mail address assigned to one of the Rumba dealers.

"We were stunned by this because no one from our company sent such a letter. We would like the opportunity to apologise to IS even though it is not our fault," says Tolkin.

However, IS director Ermano Quartero says IS did not cut Rumba`s Internet access, saying IS does not even deal directly with Rumba. "We just issue blank dial-up accounts to our clients - one of which is XSInet - and then they brand them and sell them off to other clients. We don`t even know who all of them are."

XSInet CEO David Le Roux says his company would have nothing to gain by cutting off its client. "I am making money off them, so why would I want to cut them off? XSInet does mailing, support and billing. It is IS that does authentication.

"We have tried to give Rumba services, if IS deactivates them on their system then it is out of our control; there`s nothing we can do."

Tolkin says Rumba has protested its innocence to both XSInet and IS but its dial-up access has not yet been reinstated. "Rumba fully agrees that sending an e-mail to all IS clients would be neither fair nor right.

"It is sad that one of the dealers or even a user can cause such a devastating result by simply sending such an e-mail. The big question is how is it possible to send such a mail to all IS clients. We don`t have a clue how it was done."

Rumba`s services have been cut off before, following a financial dispute between its previous ISP yournet, and Telkom.

Some ISPs had a problem with Rumba`s price, saying it undercuts other ISPs in the market. Rumba purchased ISDN accounts for an amount less than what most ISPs are paying. ISPs complained of the discount offered to Rumba, saying all the ISPs should get the same offer.

Rumba is now negotiating prices with a few ISPs and is looking to clinch a new connectivity deal. "We regret that this has happened and are in talks with other connectivity providers to try and establish a new partnership," says Tolkin.

Rumba will not disclose how many clients it has.