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The Democratic Alliance has heard that the Department of Science and Technology is considering giving in to Telkom's demand for more money to install a high-speed data link to connect the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) outside Sutherland to Cape Town. We urge the Minister not to allow Telkom to get away with exerting this pressure on this strategic international space science partnership at this crucial time. She must lay down the law and demand that Telkom meets its obligations. We believe that Telkom is asking for R23million for this link - R13 million more than was agreed on earlier this year. If the department caves in to Telkom's demand - which essentially amounts to blackmail - now, this will set a dangerous precedent for the ongoing communications costs of this endeavour. We urge the minister to call an urgent meeting between the stakeholders and invite new telecommunications service providers to join the discussion to devise a sustainable, reasonably priced solution to the communication debacle. The fact that this is playing itself out at the same time as SALT's international partners are holding a board meeting in Cape Town (today) - and planning their real-time commissioning tests due for December and January - seriously jeopardises South Africa's reputation as a credible research partner.