About Telkom, South Africa
Telkom is semi-privatized South Africa’s wireless and wireline telecommunication provider. The company is active with its operation in 38 countries and is headquartered in Centurion, Gauteng, South Africa.
Its revenue generated for the financial year 2018 was R41.018 billion from total assets of R36.417 billion. The number of employees in the company counts around 18,000 and its subsidiaries are BCX, Yellow Pages and Gyro Group.
When was Telkom started?
As a semi-privatized company, it came into operation in 1991 in South Africa. Its existence was based on the Wim de Villiers Report of 1989 to form a separate department for a commercially-oriented business in telecommunication as Telkom.
After the decision, the postal services were carried out by South Africa Post Office. At present, it is serving in over 38 countries across the African continent offering internet, mobile and landline services.
Initially, the company was in partnership with Vodafone to work on a subsidiary Vodacom which was later sold out by Telkom in 2008.
From 1997 to 2004 it was managed by SBC Communications getting restructured as a market leader in telecommunication services with 4.5M fixed access lines.
What Telkom have special products?
Telkom holds the specialty in offering telecommunication products that are beneficial for residential, business and payphone users. They offer the following;
• With Telkom’s fixed-line traffic services, one can make long-distance and local calls. They can get fixed-to-mobile and go for international outgoing and voice-over-internet protocol traffic services.
• Another interesting service is e-commerce where they let you do e-mail, data storage and hosting. They also offer security, application service provider and internet access service provider services.
• Telkom is also in the business of handset sales under brand 8ta getting all mobile communication services at one place.
• In internet services and fixed-line data operations, they get you internet access, packet-based, and ADSL (Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line) services.
• PSTN and ISDN lines are used by them to connect fixed-line connection to prepaid, post-paid and payphone users.
• Being partner with Truden Limited, Swiftnet Limited and iWayAfrica Group, they get you directory services, wireless data services, and internet services outside South Africa.
Why choose them over others?
They work on the mission of providing users the freedom through technology to connect with their loved ones and get a better life.
They do so by simply handling complicated problems and showing out their potential of understanding customer’s needs. Aside they get you 2G/3G network with LTE on the 2300 MHZ frequency having speed up to 100Mbit/s. They are also putting steps forward to expand their business as a hub in Africa for data and voice services.
To do so they have worked on acquiring Africa Online and Multi-Links which have Unified Access Licence to offer you long-distance and local telecommunication services.
What’s in news?
The company recently announced on 1st August 2019 of making a complete transformation to wireless telecommunication with prepaid services.
They are looking forward to discontinuing their copper-based fixed line prepaid services offering Smart Broadband, wireless, SmartVoice and unlimited home services.
References
https://wwwtelkom.co.za/about_us/index.shtml
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/telkom_(South_Africa)