Vodacom First
Quote in todays Financial Mail:
Vodacom has drawn first blood in its battle with rival MTN to create an updated and faster version of their third-generation (3G) cellular networks.
MTN Group CEO Phuthuma Nhleko caused a stir when he announced at a presentation to shareholders and analysts last month that MTN SA had already launched its high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) service. HSDPA is sometimes referred to as enhanced 3G or super 3G and is capable of delivering download speeds of up to 1,8 Mbit/s. That's five times faster than conventional 3G networks. Later, upgrades to the technology will result in speeds increasing several-fold again.
But MTN's announcement that it had switched on its HSDPA network rings somewhat hollow as the data cards consumers need to access the network at the new, higher speeds will not be available for several weeks yet. Vodacom's cards, on the other hand, are already available in stores. MTN's HSDPA network is live but, for the moment, its subscribers have no way of accessing it.
