16k...32k...64k...???

[ic]

iBurst SA [formerly WBS], was available to consumers quite a few months before Vodacom made 3G available to consumers, remember that 3G equipment is not the same as GSM equipment - IOW 3G equipment had to be physically installed on masts and everything else that goes with that [including waiting for Telkodemonopolies to upgrade the capacity of backhaul links].

Last I heard [many months back], Vodacom had 1600 HSDPA base-stations [@v3g - updated figure please ], and how many iBurst base-stations are there in SA...? - well under 200, correct?

Both Vodacom and MTN have put large amounts of money into 3G & HSDPA, as well as upgrading parts of the GSM network to be capable of EDGE.

Sure iBurst can cover larger areas than 3G|HSDPA, but by the time iBurst SA has installed enough base-stations to cover all of SA, HSPA [HSDPA & HSUPA] will have outperformed iBurst in terms of both coverage and speed...

 

[GreatBigMouth]

HSDPA may get faster, but it certainly won't get any cheaper! If you pay R499 for 1Gig of bandwith now, think of what you will be paying in 2 or 3 years time?

 

[ic]

HSDPA may get faster, but it certainly won't get any cheaper! If you pay R499 for 1Gig of bandwith now, think of what you will be paying in 2 or 3 years time?

Ok, why do you say that HSDPA [actually soon HSPA] will never be less expensive than it is now?

What about iBurst SA, if iBurst as a technology gets overtaken the moment WiMax is commercially available in SA, will iBurst SA be forced to switch to WiMax? - if that happens, will Y-Burst SA charge less for WiMax than it used to charge for iBurst - considering that Y-Burst SA would have had to spend a fair amount of money replacing iBurst technology with WiMax technology, or keep both iBurst and WiMax running as separate networks sharing the same physical masts...?

 

[aviator]

HSDPA may get faster, but it certainly won't get any cheaper! If you pay R499 for 1Gig of bandwith now, think of what you will be paying in 2 or 3 years time?

Not sure how you can say this. If you recall, just over 2 years ago, the standard GPRS tariff was ariund R50/MB. This was reduced substantially to R10/MB and then further reduced to R2/MB with lower tariffs in bundle. This new tarriff was carried into the newly launched 3G network by the mobile networks. When HSDPA was launched, the in bundle tarriff for the vanilla 3G speed service was further reduced and the higher speed HSDPA service was made available at the old 3G price. So as the new, higher speeds come in and the demand/usage grows, they are sure to drive prices down further. Also remember, if you are out of Iburst coverage (like in Pofadder for example) you are stuck with your finger up your nose where at least the cell networks offer some fallback even if it is pretty slow!

IMO Iburst's life is likely to be short lived - let's watch this spce and see what transpires over the next few years. Also, not to be forgotten is that the CEO of Iburst is the son of Vodacom's CEO so who knows what could happen. Oops, maybe shouldn't have said this on the forum cos it may get our local conspiracy theorists going again.

 

[flipmo]

is it true that hsdpa max out at 14.4 megs per second...??? i saw sumwhere on the internet that with the network bein able the samsung zv50 can achieve that speeds...

 

[Syndyre]

I think it is theoretically possible to achieve a speed around there, can't remember the exact number, but none of the networks support it yet.

 

[flipmo]

wow...thats more than 20 bucks a second...really impressive....

 

[Neo]

In summary, the mobile operators have a massive head-start with:

1) Large number of sites that can be re-used.
2) Huge customer base that can incrementally buy new services.
3) Correct technology choice with a mapped upgrade path. HSPA is supported by all vendors and the majority of operators.

In contrast iBurst must still achieve the above.

So, in reality, the cost of HSPA will come down as the investment is recovered and future upgrades are relatively simple, while the cost of iBurst won't be able to come down as the network must still be built and at some point will include a complete technology refresh.

Again, nothing against the company, but it's very difficult to start up in a market with incumbents, especially if they have the technology on their side.

I believe iBurst's future lies in using their WiMax license to provide corporate services, not consumer.

 

[vodacom3g]

is it true that hsdpa max out at 14.4 megs per second...??? i saw sumwhere on the internet that with the network bein able the samsung zv50 can achieve that speeds...

The HSDPA spec is for a max of 14.4Mb/s but that is not yet supported.

We are already seeing cards rated at 3.6 and 7.2Mb/s but the network equipment is a bit behind with 3.6Mb/s only available in 2007 and 7.2 probably 18 to 24 months after that.

HSUPA will give uploads to a max of 5.7Mb/s.

 

[GreatBigMouth]

IMO Iburst's life is likely to be short lived

Not if they convert to the WiMax technology. If they stay with the original Iburst system, it's likely they will end up like Sentech in about 5 years time. Let's just remember that they are already discussing the fact about implementing WiMax into their system.

 

[aviator]

Not if they convert to the WiMax technology. If they stay with the original Iburst system, it's likely they will end up like Sentech in about 5 years time. Let's just remember that they are already discussing the fact about implementing WiMax into their system.

According to this article, http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/telecoms/2006/0609261033.asp?S=Broadband&A=BRO&O=FRGN, Iburst are not in line for a Wimax licence, only Telkom, Neotel and Sentech.

Cell-C was already forced to stop their Wimax testing. So as I said before, watch this space!

 

[GreatBigMouth]

Sentech? Since when are they a fixed line broadband provider?

 

[ic]

Not if they convert to the WiMax technology. If they stay with the original Iburst system, it's likely they will end up like Sentech in about 5 years time. Let's just remember that they are already discussing the fact about implementing WiMax into their system.

It might be a fact that iBurst SA is considering|discussing WiMax [which Broadband network operator wouldn't be internally discussing WiMax], but it is definitely not [currently] a fact that iBurst SA will commercially provide a WiMax service to consumers or even wholesale...

Vodacom has been testing WiMax for almost as long as Telkodemonopolies has, and now her Poisonous Ivyness seems to think that only wired [fixed line] network operators should be allowed to have [wireless] WiMax networks...the incompetent narcoleptic ministerial bovinity strikes again...

 

[GreatBigMouth]

She's either crazy or totally clueless. Sentech is NOT a fixed line broadband provider!

 

[Daniedj]

Maybe she can only phone the Sentech boss on his Telkom line and not on a cellphone i.e. Sentech is then on the "fixed line"?!

 

[vodacom3g]

Operators are typically categorised as either:

1) Fixed - You stuck to one place - Telkom in SA

2) Nomadic - You can move around but need to cart stuff around and set up where you arrive. Typically won't work if you're actively moving - iBurst and Sentech in SA

3) Mobile - Equipment tend to be very portable and mobile, you can use the service while actively moving - Cell Operators in SA

Sentech has received quite a few licenses outside of the Nomadic definition.

 

[GreatBigMouth]

2) Nomadic - You can move around but need to cart stuff around and set up where you arrive. Typically won't work if you're actively moving - iBurst and Sentech in SA

What about the laptop modem from Iburst? It's exactly the same as the HSDPA card from Vodacom/MTN.

 

[vodacom3g]

What about the laptop modem from Iburst? It's exactly the same as the HSDPA card from Vodacom/MTN.

Can you drive, say 50Km @ 120Km/h, with it and keep your connection?

If so, it's mobile, if not; nomadic.

IBurst does not use WCDMA / HSDPA, but I'm sure you know this.

 

[GreatBigMouth]

IBurst does not use WCDMA / HSDPA, but I'm sure you know this.

Yes, I know that. What I meant was that they both use PCMCIA cards as modems, which is are more mobile than the desktop modems.

 

[vodacom3g]

Yes, I know that. What I meant was that they both use PCMCIA cards as modems, which is are more mobile than the desktop modems.

Agreed, so the equipment is mobile, now if the service is pervasive (i.e. you don't loose connectivity, handing over from cell to cell) and designed to work at speed (GSM and WCDMA actually comes with a speed rating!), you've got a true mobile service.

I know of one forumite who drives around with his 3G laptop riding shotgun with an audio headset so he can use Skype as a mobile phone. This is a true indication of a mobile solution!

Vodacom prefers to work with the 3 definitions (fixed, nomadic and mobile) but most people seems to work only with fixed and mobile. In this case Sentech and iBurst are often defined as fixed.