Zimbabwe satellite Internet link restored

Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank authorized release of TelOne's, the
state 
communications operator, payment of satellite charges to
Intelsat in 
foreign currency.  Intelsat restored its satellite link,
which was
the primary Internet connection for most ISPs in Zimbabwe.

To raise hard currency, TelOne is trying to get diplomatic
missions and 
ISPs to pay in foreign currency for Internet service.

I'm a little surprised they came back up. I can certainly
see the
benefit for the regime to have - unavoidably, no money! - no
Internet
for the public (whilst they no doubt have private
bgan/thuraya/whatever).

On 9/28/06, Sean Donelan <seandonelan.com> wrote:
>
>
> Zimbabwe's Reserve Bank authorized release of TelOne's,
the state
> communications operator, payment of satellite charges
to Intelsat in
> foreign currency.  Intelsat restored its satellite
link, which was
> the primary Internet connection for most ISPs in
Zimbabwe.
>
> To raise hard currency, TelOne is trying to get
diplomatic missions and
> ISPs to pay in foreign currency for Internet service.
>
>

On Thu, Sep 28, 2006 at 09:58:42AM +0100, Alexander
Harrowell wrote:
> 
> I'm a little surprised they came back up. I can
certainly see the
> benefit for the regime to have - unavoidably, no money!
- no Internet
> for the public (whilst they no doubt have private
> bgan/thuraya/whatever).

	Or it could be a sign that the internet is sufficently
valuable
to the government that they must restore the link.  Some may
be a bit
suspicious of the internet being that critical, but it just
may be the case.

	- Jared

-- 
Jared Mauch  | pgp key available via finger from jaredpuck.nether.net
clue++;      | http://puck.nether.net
/~jared/  My statements are only mine.

And sufficiently heavily demanded by the regime that having
their own
satellite access is insufficient.

On Thu, Sep 28, 2006 at 09:24:30AM -0400, Jared Mauch wrote:
> 
> On Thu, Sep 28, 2006 at 09:58:42AM +0100, Alexander
Harrowell wrote:
> > 
> > I'm a little surprised they came back up. I can
certainly see the
> > benefit for the regime to have - unavoidably, no
money! - no Internet
> > for the public (whilst they no doubt have private
> > bgan/thuraya/whatever).
> 
> 	Or it could be a sign that the internet is sufficently
valuable
> to the government that they must restore the link. 
Some may be a bit
> suspicious of the internet being that critical, but it
just may be the case.


Of course it's valuable.  If the major donors to the
government coffers
say so.  (Apologies if that's TOO cynical, but it seems to
be a trend in
some countries having that kind of problem.)


-- 
Joe Yao
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