Seychelles Being Over-Run By Internet Age
The PURE FM RADIO station will turn One (1) year old this week. It should have been 40 years old by now. This is an indication of how far behind the times Seychelles is. Ironically, internet radio is the trend today. Pure FM may be around for another year.
Cable At The Table
Cable and Wireless, a company that was running a monopoly for years and generations in communication, took on Airtel in 1998 but then Airtel was a non starter. The little competition Airtel provided, allowed Cable and Wireless to wake up, and they invested heavily in fibre optic infrastructure in Seychelles, to connect us with AFRICA ONE via the Tanzania feeder. It is an investment that exceeds 35 Million USD.
The problem for Seychelles is that the Government of Seychelles has allowed Cable and Wireless to fix internet connection rates at excessive rates, to allow it to recover its investment in a short term spread. Internet infrastructure return on investment is never short term.
Airtel Too Little Too Late
Pathetic Airtel who is always behind the times is now placing hotspots around town. Desperate opportunism at its best Airtel. What we need is cheap internet rates everywhere in Seychelles, not just at selected sites. As usually, Airtel misses the point and charges a card Scr. 350.00. Airtel that is over $30.00. Who in the World pays that rate for internet usage these days? Pathetic. Airtel may consider going into the fish packing business and fish fingers manufacturing at its ocean front location.
End Effect Rip Off Internet Prices
With Cable and Wireless along with Airtel believe it has an inherent God given right to massive profits in Seychelles, with their Fibre optic investment, they are surcharging customers excessive fees for internet connectivity in an age wherein it is suppose to be as cheap as banana chips.
The impact of high rates on hotels is passed on to Visitors that give us a bad rap for providing a rip off service.
If Cable and Wireless wants to continue to generate revenue from the Tourism market, it needs to play a long, extend its projected return on investment period of recovery and drop prices of services. A market needs to be nurtured to grow, not scalped to produce.
If Cable and Wireless drops internet rates, Tourism establishments, will pass the benefit to visitors.
Airtel forget about it. Just help them with permits to accelerate in fish fingers.
Seychelles Wins With Excellence
If this is done fast, Seychelles will be able to take advantage of the 3-G travelers that are inbound more than ever. They will take photos of fantastic views, beaches, vistas, hotels, food, and send them all around the World, instantly, constantly. They will be converted into Seychelles Marketing agents in an ad hoc and real way. This potentially can drive down our demand for huge marketing budgets and we can shift focus from marketing country to marketing airlines seats and hotel rooms where the effort is much needed, but there is no money to do what is necessary.
High internet rates will continue to dog Seychelles image if we do not say: enough is enough, Cable and Wireless!
Now is your chance to move forward with business, so do not take it for granted.
In the old days, one had to line up his/her ducks they say.
In the internet age, that has not changed.
Sesel Sa……it does not have to be that way!
Seselwa Unite!
Sesel Pou Seselwa!
May God Bless All Freedom Loving Seychellois!
Yes cost of internet is too high for customers.and as the article poins out it seems mainly because Cabel and Wireless want customers to pay for all its expesnes and for a network that cabel and wireless has its balked at building.So the high price of Intenret is about a customer issue ,rather than technology or competitiveness.The later Cable does have.
ReplyDeleteHow a company chooses to pay for its fiber project differs from country to country.E.g some went with bonds rather than tax payers money or like cable and wireless has opted for namely make customers pay its bill.
Why is it too expensive,internet is Seychelles?two main reasons---monopoly and infrastructure,but also a whole lots of political involvement.Pl control communication in Seychelles so Pl tends to be miss and hit.
There are ways of which cable and wireless can generate more revenues than sucking consumers with excessive high pirce.For instance.
Provinding TRIPLE-PLAY Package(phone,Tv,Computor)FREE or offering payment by INSTALMENT--this would encourage more citizens to have internet in their home therefore generate more revenues for Cable and Wireless...that the more Seychellois have access to internet the more interesting financially it become for provider.Another solution would be to have more Porvider than Cabel and wireless alone ,which would end the monopoly and provide competition,provide more option which would make price falls price--which would make price for internet ,phone ,Tv falls drastically.
Jeanne D'Arc
tHE JOBS OF GOVERNEMNT IS TO PROTECT PEOPLE RIGHTS.And if a market is naturally subject to limited competition.(infrastructure being a great example---Duplicating infrastrcutue is highly expensive,it hard to start up as a competitor,and it is critical to the function of society.--it could be argue that it should be regulated by government.-albeit at the lowest of ogvernemnt possible,tp increase the influence that the most directly affected citizens will have over its funonng.
ReplyDeleteSeychellois is not benefitting from fully from competitions in the telecommunication market due to high cost to use the internet.If govt cannot do anything to ask Cable to reduce price then govt should be bringin competition to telecoms industry thus allowing sey<chellois tzo get the most from boardband tools,where they could create wealth via internet but also access resources in healthcare and E-learning.etc...With high price you cannot do a lot.
ReplyDeleteSeychellois want to see govt creates a knowledge-base society,we want to ensure our people have access ,when internetFor instance,the telephone rate has fallen ,hence more people aRE USING IT AND TALKING. was introduced in Seychelles not only to enable us to talk,but that does get us to the Knwoledge--based society that we need.
cABLKE N WIRELESS--PROVIDE fREE COMPUTOR TO ALL CITIZENS THEN THERE WOULD BE MORE USE AND THAT GENERATE MORE REVENUES.fREE cOMPUTOR?tHIS WOUOLD BE A LOST FOR cCABLE N WIRELESS?No,A PERSON CAN STILL BUY HIS COMPUTOR AT A SPECAILIZED SHOP/STORE PAYABLE BY cABEL THEN CABLE EACH MONTH IS PAYED BACK BY INSTALEMNT(TWO YEARS ACCORDING TO PRICE).hence THIS WOULD ALLOW MORE Seychellois CONNECTED.
ReplyDeleteBE CREATIVE cABLE N WIRELSS--WE LIVING IN THE 21ST CNETURY CREATIVITY IS MONEY.
And we are still waiting for the MILLION RUPEE radio FREEDOM that the Rev.Wavel C.Ramkalawan promised decade ago. Where did the money go?
ReplyDeleteCable should be helping Seychelles not strangling her. The rates are shocking.
ReplyDeleteRAM------Pl is thinking of cancelling his pension for life.Too costly for a small and bankruptcy country.
ReplyDeleteCABLE should years bring a package for internet access and international TV for better international news and sport channel like some cable company do around the world those moron don't have a vision,create some APPS need idea how it done?
ReplyDeleteCable may be today you could have pocket million .
There are two areas of concern here:
ReplyDelete1. The people have limited choices - so the service provider can hike the rates.
2. The government can violate your privacy and swoop in on your activities.
Either way, the people are totally F*@#$$ up!
So many people complain about internet rates every day.
ReplyDeleteSFP will force Cable and Wireless to drop its rate 40% by bringing more competition.
Seychelles is a Free Market not a FOO Market.
The provider cannot think in a box. They are part of the Seychelles product and they are too expensive giving us the reputation of being a rip off destination.
ReplyDeleteMarco Francis can do something about this.
Or Pl can force Cable and wireless-----to provide all househould with free computer thus increase subcribers wihhc would increase Cable and wireless revenue-----that would allow reduction in price.Or Simply open to other companies like Mauritius has done.Mauritius has allowed ORANGE a Fracne company to operate in Mauritius --by doing so price has decrease new techonology has been introduced,etc....
ReplyDeletePl tells us _PL government is frimly engage against corruption.what for a joke--In Seychelles the most corrupt are Pl members---EgPl uses tax payers money and sponsor a company call SEPEC which in fact is Pl company and money generated were robbed by Pl then lunaered in five star hotles.The same principles when it come to IDC,AIRSEY before under DAVID SAVy,FRANCIS SAVY five star hotel on St Ange,Or RENE PRAWN FARM on creativity before etc..etc..etc.Frankly,where in the world have you seen criminals being their own judge?Where in the world have you seen thugs putting in palce laws to criminalize their own crimes?I guess such redicule exist in crooked states like Seychlles.Cuba.Zimbabwe,North Korea,Venezuala only.
ReplyDelete