No Vodacom 3G in Simon's Town

[johanhorak]

Hi

I moved down to Simon's Town 4 months ago and tried to use my 3G card. It was impossible. I tried to phone Vodacom and could not get a signal on my or my wife's vodacom phone.
When we go a signal it did not last for the time it took to get support from Vodacom. When I got they could not help me.
Eventually I tried Telkom and paid through my nose to try and get Vodacom support. This continued for a week or more.

Eventually I got Vodacom support on the line. I told them about the poor cell phone reception and they said they will correct it.

I then had to go through the same process to tell someone that my 3G card does not work in Simon's Town. They support man said that they can help me by canceling my 3G contract for R5000.

I then decided to share my experiences with bad Vodacom support on my blog and got response from another 3G user and some MTN users.

Do anyone of you have any idea what I can do to help get rid of the 3G card or at least get coverage?

Regards

Johan Horak
HelpMeToBlog.com
SimonsTownRealty.Info

[ic]

Do anyone of you have any idea what I can do to help get rid of the 3G card or at least get coverage?

First email customercare@vodacom.co.za and give the full details of your location and ask when 3G|HSDPA coverage will be available in that area, also request a reference number so that your request for info can be tracked through Vodacom's systems and through to the relevant regional planning department [probably Western Cape].

[Csnoopy]

Hi

I moved down to Simon's Town 4 months ago and tried to use my 3G card. It was impossible. I tried to phone Vodacom and could not get a signal on my or my wife's vodacom phone.
When we go a signal it did not last for the time it took to get support from Vodacom. When I got they could not help me.
Eventually I tried Telkom and paid through my nose to try and get Vodacom support. This continued for a week or more.

Eventually I got Vodacom support on the line. I told them about the poor cell phone reception and they said they will correct it.

I then had to go through the same process to tell someone that my 3G card does not work in Simon's Town. They support man said that they can help me by canceling my 3G contract for R5000.

I then decided to share my experiences with bad Vodacom support on my blog and got response from another 3G user and some MTN users.

Do anyone of you have any idea what I can do to help get rid of the 3G card or at least get coverage?

Regards

Johan Horak
HelpMeToBlog.com
SimonsTownRealty.Info

Can you not use the card to get edge coverage???

[johanhorak]

Hi Csnoopy

I and another person that commented on my blog (also from Simon's Town) cannot use our 3G cards. You get a signal but it's poor and erratic. You cannot open a web page and if you succeed it's so slow.

Regards
Johan Horak
HelpMeToBlog.Com
SimonsTownRealty.Info

[vodacom3g]

Hi

I moved down to Simon's Town 4 months ago and tried to use my 3G card. It was impossible. I tried to phone Vodacom and could not get a signal on my or my wife's vodacom phone.
When we go a signal it did not last for the time it took to get support from Vodacom. When I got they could not help me.
Eventually I tried Telkom and paid through my nose to try and get Vodacom support. This continued for a week or more.

Eventually I got Vodacom support on the line. I told them about the poor cell phone reception and they said they will correct it.

I then had to go through the same process to tell someone that my 3G card does not work in Simon's Town. They support man said that they can help me by canceling my 3G contract for R5000.

I then decided to share my experiences with bad Vodacom support on my blog and got response from another 3G user and some MTN users.

Do anyone of you have any idea what I can do to help get rid of the 3G card or at least get coverage?

Regards

Johan Horak
HelpMeToBlog.com
SimonsTownRealty.Info

Johan, thanks for the feedback. A few relevant points.

1- In 4 months you could not get a decent enough signal to talk to the call-desk? Wow, that's rough. I'm pretty sure there must be many areas in Simon's Town where coverage is just fine, but I guess if you've never been away from this one location you'd not see it.

You sell property, right? Would assume it implies you go out and look at houses? Have you never considered calling the call-disk (they're open 24/7) when you're in an area with coverage, maybe while putting in petrol, buying bread and milk or just after church?

To blog this issue, (and call for mass action), it must obviously be a big thing for you and I would assume you've called the call-desk many, many times. Please PM me (use the Private Message function) all the call references you got and I'll check up on what's been done so far on your queries. Remember to include your Vodacom cell number. I'll get onto it for you.

2- You're in business to make money, right? And you'd do anything to expand your business and sell more property? Obviously. We all want to be successful. So does MTN and VC.

Now think about this logically: Why would Vodacom (or MTN) not provide coverage in a large town like Simon's Town? I'm sure you noticed on your blog you got more complaints about MTN than Vodacom? (Vodacom - 1 complaint, MTN - 2 complaints)

VC and MTN are constantly accused of being greedy and charging too high mobile prices. Yet in Simon's Town, both these monsters decided not to put up towers and not fleece the local population. Why could that be?

Vodacom and MTN wants your money, all they have to do is put up towers and the bucks will start rolling in.

So, why no towers?

Obviously because something is stopping the towers from going up.

And these are:

1) Geography - In the middle of the Karoo, it's easy to give a large footprint with few cells. But when you're on a coastline, between mountains with the ocean on one side, where do you put the towers? On a barge in the middle of the bay? And even if you identify the perfect site, are you allowed to put up a tower, can you get access to the site and is there backhaul available? Or power?

2) Residents block new sites - The single biggest problem in getting new towers up. Everyone wants coverage but it must magically appear without any towers spoiling the environment. How many houses have you sold who's value increased because there is a big tower in the backyard? Or on the corner? You're in the property game, you'll know all about it.

And, of course, there are the scaremongers who stop towers out of principle on potential radiation issues. And it only takes one complaint to stop a new tower (after a very long process of finding the site)

3) Potential backhaul issues - Lastly, if a site has been identified and we can build a tower, can we actually connect it to the Vodacom network? We've got towers built, waiting for backhaul capacity...

Maybe what we can do to help you is the following:

a)- We'll plan to put a new tower in your front yard (I'm assuming you facing the ocean with the mountain behind you?), as this will give the best coverage into your home. You'll obviously agree to VC using your property as you're desperate for coverage. We'll make it a 2G and 3G tower, so you'll get blistering speeds on your data card as well.

b)- You help convince your neighbours, council, and the large number of other bodies that have to approve it, that this is a good place for a tower and will benefit the community as a whole. I'm sure your neighbours will be ecstatic as they'll get good coverage as well.

c)- You've got ADSL, so it sounds like backhaul should be OK.

So, we've got a location (your front yard), you'll help us convince everyone we should built it and backhaul is no problem. So, we're all set to sort out your coverage!

PM me your contact details and exact address and we can get this show on the road.

[Csnoopy]

What a mounth full.

Thanks v3g. We don't always understand what it takes to make a wireless service available. How about somebody come up with some great technology where excisting tree's and solar panels can be used to provide some of the basic infrastructure. I have seen around our area where a school and a church have Towers on there premisses. Maybe that is what they should do. By the way do these institutes receive any income?? or how does it work??

[vodacom3g]

What a mounth full.

Thanks v3g. We don't always understand what it takes to make a wireless service available. How about somebody come up with some great technology where excisting tree's and solar panels can be used to provide some of the basic infrastructure. I have seen around our area where a school and a church have Towers on there premisses. Maybe that is what they should do. By the way do these institutes receive any income?? or how does it work??

High buildings like churches are often used, also because they can receive some type of income.

However, the normal permissions must still be sought. Especially schools are mostly weary, often due to some parents being concerned about radiation.

But residents objecting is still the biggest hindrance in getting sites up. Below a post on another forum, started by a Constantia resident to try and force MTN to put up more sites. Note how both MTN and Cell-C moans about the residents blocking sites going up. Vodacom is in the same situation there, BTW.

And especially note how the Constantia Property Owners' Association fully agrees that they block new sites, finding towers 'offensive'.

Meulemans blames MTN for his cellphone constantly losing the signal in his area.

But MTN and Cell C have blamed residents for repeatedly objecting to the networks building more masts.

"MTN has tried unsuccessfully for many years to build more masts/base stations to improve network coverage and quality in Constantia," said MTN media relations manager Ravin Maharaj.

"Unfortunately community organisations and ratepayers have objected to implementation, saying the masts will pollute the natural beauty of the area."

MTN would persist with negotiations with the local community to improve network coverage, said Maharaj.

Cell C media relations manager Happy Zondi said: "In 2002, Cell C applied for permission to erect a base station in the area. When the residents were given an opportunity to raise their concerns, they objected, claiming that it will pollute the area's natural beauty and scenery.

"Unless the community changes its position on the matter, Cell C will continue to provide coverage through its roaming agreement."

Constantia Property Owners' Association chairman Gary May says the poor reception is only in pockets, not throughout the entire leafy suburb of Cape Town.

He added it was an ongoing issue that no amount of plastic pine trees would address to everybody's satisfaction.

Even if they were disguised as pine trees, masts erected by the networks were offensive to many Constantia residents.

What's quite funny in this case is that one group objects to masts going up while their neighbour puts up a pressure-site to try and force the cell companies to build sites...

[Csnoopy]

How do the rich & famous then communicate with the outside world while they are in there homes? The kids all want phones to speak to there buddies (MXIT). Are there such things as mini towers/antenaes that these people hide in there homes?.

How about planting a tower on all the Navy ships there should always be one in the area to deliver the signals. What about a massive Jan Van Riebeek or Simon van der Stel statue that could house all the equipment?

Somebody must just have a bad experience in one of these area's and then you will see them towers go up.

[ic]

How do the rich & famous then communicate with the outside world while they are in there homes? The kids all want phones to speak to there buddies (MXIT). Are there such things as mini towers/antenaes that these people hide in there homes?.

How about planting a tower on all the Navy ships there should always be one in the area to deliver the signals. What about a massive Jan Van Riebeek or Simon van der Stel statue that could house all the equipment?

Somebody must just have a bad experience in one of these area's and then you will see them towers go up.

Well obviously they must be using satellite phones where the base-stations orbit around the planet...

Seriously though, I wish there was a website that documented all community groups opposed to base-stations and the associated areas.

[Csnoopy]

Well obviously they must be using satellite phones where the base-stations orbit around the planet...

Seriously though, I wish there was a website that documented all community groups opposed to base-stations and the associated areas.

Lol. Forgot about that one.

[vodacom3g]

Well obviously they must be using satellite phones where the base-stations orbit around the planet...

Along the Atlantic seaboard there are quite a few places where the geography even blocks DSTV satellite reception.

[Csnoopy]

Along the Atlantic seaboard there are quite a few places where the geography even blocks DSTV satellite reception.

For obvious reasons you picked the right spot in Cape town.

[ic]

Along the Atlantic seaboard there are quite a few places where the geography even blocks DSTV satellite reception.

Aha that explains why GWB hasn't been able to find Usama laden with a Rubbish Bin - he has been hiding out along the Atlantic seaboard .

[Csnoopy]

Aha that explains why GWB hasn't been able to find Usama laden with a Rubbish Bin - he has been hiding out along the Atlantic seaboard .

Now that is why all the rich & infamous from across the Globe stay & visit in Cape Town. Look at Margie Thatchers son that helped the oaks in the Ivory coast.

[vodacom3g]

Now that is why all the rich & infamous from across the Globe stay & visit in Cape Town. Look at Margie Thatchers son that helped the oaks in the Ivory coast.

He's a horticulturist?