HARARE (Reuters) - Internet traffic in Zimbabwe has come close to a standstill after an international satellite firm slashed its bandwidth because the cash-starved government failed to pay the bill.


Government-owned TelOne, which owns the country's main satellite Internet link, said satellite firm Intelsat had cut its international bandwidth because it failed to pay the $700,000 fee.

"The link is slow because they reduced the megabits on our satellite link until the payment is made," TelOne spokesman Phill Chingwaru told Reuters on Wednesday.

"We have approached the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe for foreign currency and they are working on that, but meanwhile there would be delays in browsing because of the partial cut-off."

President Robert Mugabe's government is grappling with an eight-year recession, the world's highest inflation rate of 1,200 percent, shortages of foreign currency, food, fuel, and unemployment above 70 percent.

Zimbabwe's foreign currency shortages have worsened after a fall-out with international donors over policy differences, such as Harare's seizure of white-owned farms for blacks.

"It is a nightmare because of the congestion and we are getting calls from desperate clients, some of them who can't even access the Internet," said an official from a private ISP, which uses TelOne's satellite link.

The Zimbabwe Internet Service Providers Association (ZISPA) said on its website TelOne's connection had been severed, causing an "almost collapse" of the Internet in the country. It said ZISPA would lobby the government to help it pay the debt.

Chingwaru said TelOne had asked the government for permission to charge big firms in foreign currency to avoid being cut off in the future.

He said TelOne had meanwhile ventured into farming by contracting tobacco and cotton farmers to produce crops for export, in a bid to generate foreign currency. Chingwaru said TelOne would get $12 million from the recent tobacco selling season.

Mugabe accuses former colonial power Britain of leading a Western campaign of economic sabotage.

They just need to peddle those public electricity bicycle generators a bit faster.

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Mugabe accuses former colonial power Britain of leading a Western campaign of economic sabotage.

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jeffeosso

May I suggest that you delete the first three words in your posting title? It will more accuratelky reflect the situation in Zimbabwe! The only thing moving in Zimbabwe is inflation! Going Up and Up!

Question I asked before: Who is to blame? The totally incompetent Government of Zimbabwe? Or the people and Governments who helped put them in power?

As a South African I'm shit scared of our own short to medium term future! [I well know that while there is a terrorist organization (ANC) in power here, there is NIL long term future!]

Meanwhile: In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren.

I think what happened is the government offered to pay the bill, in zim$.... but they couldn't get a VLCC to deliver the paper!

jeffe

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Originally posted by jeffeosso:
.... but they couldn't get a VLCC to deliver the paper!

jeffe

Is a "VLCC" anything like a garbage truck?

Hog Killer

At least one S. African can see the trees in the forest!

It has been 26 years since the evil colonial rule has ended, and the excuse will NEVER end.

It has been a 152 years since slavery in the USA and the excuse will NEVER end.

It could be 2026 years or 3152 years and it will be the same excuse.

It is amazing the lack of advancement of civilization in the world.

quote:

Originally posted by Hog Killer:

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
.... but they couldn't get a VLCC to deliver the paper!

jeffe

Is a "VLCC" anything like a garbage truck?

Hog Killer

Coastal Tanker -- Less than 50,000 deadweight tons, mainly used for transportation of refined products (gasoline, gasoil,…).
Aframax -- Approximately 80,000 deadweight tons.
Suez-Max -- Between 125,000 and 180,000 deadweight tons, originally the maximum capacity of the Suez Canal.
VLCC -- Very Large Crude Carrier. Up to around 300,000 deadweight tons of crude oil.
ULCC -- Ultra Large Crude Carrier. Capacity exceeding 300,000 deadweight tons. The largest tankers ever built have a deadweight of over 550,000 deadweight tons.

http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch5en/appl5en/tankers.html

-Bob F.