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Hey, Dicky's up in arms!!!
"Richard Branson of Virgin Mobile has slammed cellphone operators for dragging their feet with the implementation of number portability. Number portability enables cellphone subscribers to change operators while keeping the same number. For the second time, the three major operators, Vodacom, Cell C and MTN, have asked the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) to postpone the date when portability was meant to have been implemented. It was to have happened on September 18. In an open letter to South Africa's mobile customers Branson, founder of Virgin Mobile South Africa, said customers should not be "held hostage" by their operators as number portability had been available in other countries for years. "A delay will mean that subscribers on cellphone contracts due to expire before September will be forced to renew their contracts and lose their numbers," he said. "Clearly, South Africa's mobile players are dragging their heels on this issue because it isn't in their best interests - they want to lock their customers in." Branson said Virgin Mobile was taking up the challenge to speak on behalf of South Africans in support of a much faster implementation timeline for mobile number portability. But Branson's targets have hit back, saying the delay was caused by ..." read more
here
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Posted: 2006-09-14 18:47:00
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Go Rickiiiieee!! Whether it's the networks purposely stalling or genuinely the database pitfalls mentioned in the full article, it's great to see him challenging the other networks head-on and making his network-related concerns so public.
Just watched a programme on Sky TV's channel 267, ie. Artsworld. I was channel surfing and the next minute there's 'rooi veldskoene' on the TV..yup, David Kramer!
A programme called 'Karoo Kitaar Blues', how he drives his equally famous VW Combi (remember all those old 80's David Kramer Volksie-Bus ads?) around both the Groot en Klein Karoo areas and Namaqualand, in his quest to capture the traditonal music of these parts by forming a band comprising local musos from these areas, and bring them all to CT's Baxter Theatre for an epic cultural performance and CD recording.
It was both incredibly humbling and heartwarming to watch. The programme seems to have been produced about 2 or 3 years ago. Wish I had recorded it...
[ This Message was edited by: amawanqa on 2006-09-14 22:30 ]
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Posted: 2006-09-14 22:23:58
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Ah the networks are so used to competition against each other, now that they have to work together on something they fail. What else to expect. And about the upgrades, i waited 3 or more months after my contract went over before i could get this phone, so the question is, do they automatically lock you in if you go on or not? I would be very interested in knowing that. And can i upgrade two years after the next two years started or only after the 3 months it took me to get my phone. I see it as two years after my first two. If it is not, there will be crap to pay.
@ wanqa, that dockie sounded interesting. Would have loved to see it. Content out of sa is getting to the point where i will not bother to keep track with half of the productions going on.
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Posted: 2006-09-14 23:11:01
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@da wanqsta: It's just after midnight...I should be in bed. About David Kramer, I remember his blues band (the guys from Namaqualand) were down in Cape Towm last year...I might be mistaken.... Hold up, lemme do a google search...Ok, just confirmed the show is called the Karoo Kitaar Blues.
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Posted: 2006-09-15 00:08:58
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According to
World Wide Worx study on MNP about 500 000 cellphone users would switch operators if number portability was implimented...most of them being on prepaid with the most common reason given being cheaper calls.
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Posted: 2006-09-15 10:05:35
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How's this for a contract deal here:
Carphone Warehouse, in conjunction with Orange, are giving away a free XBox360 for every 18 month contract on the 'Canary 30' tariff, ie. 325 minutes and 150 sms's for £30 a month, together with a Nokia 6111 thrown in.
(If you want the deal on a 12 month contract, you have to pay in £69.99.)
Considering the value of an XBox 360 and the amount of minutes etc. you get a month, plus the mid-range phone's value, it's a bloody good deal.
Here's the link:
http://www.carphonewarehouse.[....]R&origin=SPECIALOFFER&tabname=
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Posted: 2006-09-15 13:26:33
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Speaking of consoles...I'm thinking of getting a PS3 when it eventually launches here>>>>2010
I'm no serious gamer but I'd be pissed off if I was told to wait until Spring next year.
_________________
T39m>T300>T68i>K700i>P910i> N70...couldn't wait for the K800i.
[ This Message was edited by: brix25 on 2006-09-15 13:14 ]
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Posted: 2006-09-15 13:59:06
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Well i am with you there brixx. I am in no terms a serious gamer, not even vaguely, BUT i am gonna get one of those ps3 thingies too once it comes out. If the games , like ps2 are backwards compatible, so that you can still play ps1 and ps2 games on ps3 i will surely need one of em
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Posted: 2006-09-15 14:29:00
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@Rhino: Yes, they'll be backwards compatible...Sony would not dare bring out a console that wasn't. I don't expect the PS3 to reach too soon after it's European launch, hell we're only officially getting the XBox360 here next week after it was launched in Europe last year.
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Posted: 2006-09-15 14:40:06
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@ da brixsta,
Yeah that PS3 delay is a real downer for those who were expecting to get the console during this year's festive season...only Japan and of course the US are assured of availability before the northern hemisphere's Spring next year...
All (apparently) blamed on the manufacturing demands of the Blu-Ray disc drives.
Suddenly that article about the (Un)Democratic Republic of Congo that Francois posted comes to mind again...
[ This Message was edited by: amawanqa on 2006-09-15 14:47 ]
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Posted: 2006-09-15 15:42:30
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