The free bandwidth campaign will hurt South Africans who host Web sites locally more than the fixed-line operator, says Skyrove CEO Henk Kleynhans.
The crusade urges ADSL users to download testing software that will allow them to access free bandwidth from Telkom.
The campaign could also hurt Internet service providers (ISPs) by overloading their networks on the day of the campaign - 30 June.
Last month, an unnamed group of users dissatisfied with Telkom's policy of capping local Internet usage launched an online campaign to access free bandwidth from Telkom for local usage.
Participants are urged to download testing software that will allow them to access free bandwidth without having to pay for it, or leaving traces of their usage.
All the computers hosting this software will act in unison on 30 June to connect users to local sites to download as much content as possible, the campaign organisers say.
They argue that consumers are entitled to the bandwidth, as "monthly bandwidth allocations are legally not supposed to include local surfing".
Also, Telkom has repeatedly argued its network could not possibly support the access of free local content. The exercise will test the truth of this position, they say.
Think it through
Kleynhans says the idea is not adequately thought out, as it will hurt the people it is supposed to help.
He explains: "This idea of slowing down the South African Internet to a crawl wouldn't be as bad if it weren't for the fact that the people footing the bill won't be Telkom, but rather any South African who hosts a Web site locally, and is already paying exorbitant fees for every megabyte uploaded," he says.
MyADSL founder Rudolph Muller agrees that free bandwidth participants should not download content from a local Web site without the owner's consent.
He says the campaign organisers are conscious of that fact. "If the test software is structured properly, it should not impact on any local Web site owners who do not want to form part of the campaign."
A discussion on the MyADSL forum indicates there are also concerns that ISPs could be overloaded by the campaign, Muller says.
World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says the requirement to download an application is also risky for users. "They are asking ordinary users to mess with their computer settings for the sake of making a point. Most would not even consider doing so."
It is unclear what position Telkom and the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) take on the upcoming campaign.
A Telkom spokesman previously said it was unfair for consumers to target it directly. Dissatisfied customers should take up the matter with ICASA, he said.
ICASA spokesman Jubie Matlou said Telkom must have a policy for non-paying customers. The provisions in its licence will guide the policy, he said.
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