South Africa’s LTE kingmakers

[rpm]

South Africa’s LTE kingmakers

Two companies (and a parastatal) are holding the aces when it comes to LTE deployments in South Africa more

[drukkie]

Sounds like DOC is waiting for the right bribe to come along if you ask me!!

[markings]

While MTN refarms spectrum myBB refarms articles.

[Mouse]

Sounds like DOC is waiting for the right bribe to come along if you ask me!!

Send shoes..

[Randux]

While MTN refarms spectrum myBB refarms articles.

WINNER

[Bern]

I am confused, how can MTN refarm spectrum in high density urban areas and then not be able to do it elsewhere? Surely low density rural would have lower spectrum usage for current technology therefore would be EASIER to refarm than dense, high usage urban???

Could Cell C refarm the 900Mhz spectrum used for HSPDA now be used for LTE? LTE has better range and throughput than HSPDA does it not?

Sentech, honestly no chance anything happens there ever.

Neotel, well I can't really see why they would invest in this area now since their strategy seems to not really be to anything more than use wireless to pretend to go after the consumer market because they have to. I would like to see them do something clever like team up with WAPA members to offer LTE over a wide geographic territory to properly compete with the incumbents, but that is possibly just too much wishful thinking.

[rph72]

Neotel, well I can't really see why they would invest in this area now since their strategy seems to not really be to anything more than use wireless to pretend to go after the consumer market because they have to. I would like to see them do something clever like team up with WAPA members to offer LTE over a wide geographic territory to properly compete with the incumbents, but that is possibly just too much wishful thinking.

They are supposed to be doing something with WAPA, but when that will happen is anybody's guess.

http://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadb...nd-access.html

[BGE]

I thought is was illegal for a license holder of a portion of the spectrum to reseller it to another party. Not so?

[evilstebunny]

iBurst, Neotel and Sentech .. now there's a list that doesn't inspire confidence at all.

[Bern]

I thought is was illegal for a license holder of a portion of the spectrum to reseller it to another party. Not so?

There are always ways around that, Neotel could hire WAPA members to run infrastructure for them (read last mile LTE radio kit and perhaps backhaul depending on what other frequencies they have), they could license the WAPA member as a reseller (Like Alcatel for VC) and so on. If I were them I would create a specific package around this to manage expectations etc as wireless backhaul will give them different performance to their normal sites.

[SteveO]

I am confused, how can MTN refarm spectrum in high density urban areas and then not be able to do it elsewhere? Surely low density rural would have lower spectrum usage for current technology therefore would be EASIER to refarm than dense, high usage urban???

Urban areas have been a massive headache dude, well according to my mates doing it.....

[Bern]

Urban areas have been a massive headache dude, well according to my mates doing it.....

Hence my confusion, why would you do it in the most difficult places where you need to support plenty of HSPDA smartphones already.

[SteveO]

Hence my confusion, why would you do it in the most difficult places where you need to support plenty of HSPDA smartphones already.

Well thats the thing, GSM 900 can probably support and still drive all the voice services, R99 and HSPA can support the existing smartphone base, LTE will be used to drive data growth

[2012]

Is it possible to just remove the 3G and throw in LTE in that spectrum instead? Surely LTE will kill off 3G?

[SteveO]

Is it possible to just remove the 3G and throw in LTE in that spectrum instead? Surely LTE will kill off 3G?

Not that easy, need to think of business aspects. So many 3G devices in existence in SA, no LTE devices, $$ spent on 3G rollout etc etc etc