At last, with LTE, we have a common global "4G" standard that all 3G networks (both CDMA2000 and UMTS varieties) will migrate to. In the US, the CDMA networks were the first movers to "4G" (notably Verizon, which has the best coverage of the US networks, and offers EV-DO Rev A - identical to Neotel in SA - and now also LTE). AT&T (the largest UMTS/HSPA player) and Sprint (the other major CDMA player) are both offering LTE as well, although Sprint also made a large bet with WiMAX, which it may well now migrate to LTE over time. This also explains why there are still two iPad varieties - a Verizon one, with CDMA/EV-DO, UMTS/HSPA and LTE (a true world device), and an AT&T one, with UMTS/HSPA and LTE. The Verizon iPad will no doubt work on Sprint, but the weird network-locked market in the US means they aren't actually able to offer it. Since they don't use RUIM cards in the US either, you're stuck with one network, presumably except when roaming onto UMTS/HSPA.
Unfortunately, this convergence on a single "4G" standard isn't matched by convergence onto common bands.
In the US, LTE is offered on 2100 MHz - the band generally used for UMTS/HSPA in Europe - and on 700 MHz - the digital dividend band in ITU-R Radio Region 3 (the Americas). American TV has always been in a different band to European TV (and a different standard), and the digital migration happened in Region 3 well before it started in Region 1 (Europe, Middle East and Africa). It's also a different band, as explained below...
Throughout Region 1, the most common LTE bands that existing operators are likely to choose are 2.6 GHz (for capacity), often combined with 800 MHz (for coverage). The latter is the digital dividend band in this Region, and the band in which Neotel currently operates CDMA/EV-DO Rev A. In terms of ICASA's latest band plan proposal, Neotel's allocation will change to the European LTE band plan, and the rest of 800 MHz will be opened up for LTE (or similar) as well, typically allocated along with 2.6 GHz as in Europe. (The exact approach and the merits or otherwise of the approach are currently open to public comment, of which there will be lots, no doubt.) The 1800 MHz band, which many operators currently use for GSM (2G), is likely to be the choice of carriers that don't get any new spectrum for LTE - it's also the band in which some mobile operators are trialling LTE in South Africa currently.
However, the 700 MHz band was identified at the recent ITU-R World Radio Conference (WRC-12) as the "digital dividend 2" band in Radio Region 1. Hence, it will become available over time, but it will be several years yet. Of course, years could be decades in South Africa, where the primary obstacle to digital migration is the government itself, and its lap dog, Sentech, supported by broadcasters.
The new iPad supports only 700 MHz (Verizon and AT&T) and 2100 MHz (AT&T) LTE bands. The most obvious reason for this choice (other than the obvious technical complexity, and perhaps some latent US-centrism) is that there are almost no commercial LTE networks in Radio Region 1 (or Region 2, Asia-Pac), where the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands would be relevant. It's probably safe to say that the fourth generation iPad, or even the iPhone 5, may well support more LTE bands. By that stage, there's also a chance we'll have commercial LTE - not just the current trials - on one of these bands in SA.
From what the websites say, it's not clear which version/s of the new iPad will be on sale in Europe and SA, but it's likely to be the AT&T variety (no CDMA), although technically the Verizon (with CDMA) version will also work on our UMTS/HSPA networks. (The CDMA version is also technically compatible with Neotel's network, but ultimately governed by Apple's network locking / support for specific carriers.) As per the article, there is no carrier in South Africa with an LTE network in one of the supported bands (700/2100), and no possibility of this even in the medium term, since our LTE networks will be in 800/1800/2600.
