RAIN LTE - Not Roaming on Vodacom / Downtime

[Redtooth]

Hi guys,

Didn't want to high-jack anybodies thread, so comment with your down times or issues related to the title.

Since this past weekend (19 Oct) my Rain sim no longer roams on Vodacom & will only connect to Rain towers.
From other threads it would seem that a common issuewas load-shedding or 5G launch..

Lets hear it....

 

[kabusi]

Hi guys,

Didn't want to high-jack anybodies thread, so comment with your down times or issues related to the title.

Since this past weekend (19 Oct) my Rain sim no longer roams on Vodacom & will only connect to Rain towers.
From other threads it would seem that a common issuewas load-shedding or 5G launch..

Lets hear it....

Yeah, I am struggling since Staurday morning to reconnect to my local tower.
Rain support does nothing to escalate besides say hang on while we check and then ignores you.

 

[Dan C]

I never knew Rain roamed on Vodacom. I thought it was the other way around

 

[James946]

I never knew Rain roamed on Vodacom. I thought it was the other way around

Pretty sure you're correct, Vodacom users can roam on Rain but not the other way around.

 

[kabusi]

Pretty sure you're correct, Vodacom users can roam on Rain but not the other way around.

Maybe some of the Rain towers are down then.
However when I queried the tower I was connecting to previously the site name ended with _VOD_KZN.
What does the VOD stand for?

 

[dotcat]

Maybe some of the Rain towers are down then.
However when I queried the tower I was connecting to previously the site name ended with _VOD_KZN.
What does the VOD stand for?

That means Vodacom manages the tower and Rain do not own the infrastructure - they are just using vodacom's to broadcast their network.

 

[kabusi]

That means Vodacom manages the tower and Rain do not own the infrastructure - they are just using vodacom's to broadcast their network.

Thanks

 

[Redtooth]

That means Vodacom manages the tower and Rain do not own the infrastructure - they are just using vodacom's to broadcast their network.

So not technically roaming but pretty damn close. Also, that would be the 15+ towers that were on, in-and-around my area, are magically down... I dont think so.

 

[supersunbird]

So not technically roaming but pretty damn close. Also, that would be the 15+ towers that were on, in-and-around my area, are magically down... I dont think so.

Maybe the areas VC towers link to RAIN broke?

Have you informed RAIN?

 

[kabusi]

Maybe the areas VC towers link to RAIN broke?

Have you informed RAIN?

I have and they just say they will escalate to the networks team.
Which in their vocabulary means ignore.

 

[cavedog]

Just clarify.

Vodacom roams on Rain. This roaming agreement means that Rain towers broadcast Vodacom network ID and if you are on Vodacom you won't even know you are roaming.

Rain DOES NOT roam on any network. Rain only runs on their OWN towers.

When it comes to the actual physical towers it depends who owns the site. In most cases those sites will be owned by one of the networks and usually one of the 2 biggest MTN or Vodacom. Networks share towers and when I mean share I mean they just share the physical tower. They have their own sector antennas and their own network equipment at the base of the tower that is why you can see a tower has so many antennas on it's because there is more than one network on the tower.

the _VOD_KZN probably just refers to the physical site which is likely owned by Vodacom.

There are a lot of companies that deal with towers to the biggest of them is Atlas towers.

 

[kabusi]

Just clarify.

Vodacom roams on Rain. This roaming agreement means that Rain towers broadcast Vodacom network ID and if you are on Vodacom you won't even know you are roaming.

Rain DOES NOT roam on any network. Rain only runs on their OWN towers.

When it comes to the actual physical towers it depends who owns the site. In most cases those sites will be owned by one of the networks and usually one of the 2 biggest MTN or Vodacom. Networks share towers and when I mean share I mean they just share the physical tower. They have their own sector antennas and their own network equipment at the base of the tower that is why you can see a tower has so many antennas on it's because there is more than one network on the tower.

the _VOD_KZN probably just refers to the physical site which is likely owned by Vodacom.

There are a lot of companies that deal with towers to the biggest of them is Atlas towers.

Thanks for the detailed explanation

 

[dotcat]

Just clarify.

Vodacom roams on Rain. This roaming agreement means that Rain towers broadcast Vodacom network ID and if you are on Vodacom you won't even know you are roaming.

Rain DOES NOT roam on any network. Rain only runs on their OWN towers.

When it comes to the actual physical towers it depends who owns the site. In most cases those sites will be owned by one of the networks and usually one of the 2 biggest MTN or Vodacom. Networks share towers and when I mean share I mean they just share the physical tower. They have their own sector antennas and their own network equipment at the base of the tower that is why you can see a tower has so many antennas on it's because there is more than one network on the tower.

the _VOD_KZN probably just refers to the physical site which is likely owned by Vodacom.

There are a lot of companies that deal with towers to the biggest of them is Atlas towers.

Could we just clarify this point? That Vodacom broadcasts the rain network ID using its tower and antennas? I have a local tower that has had zero physical changes since rain started. The tower ID 77603329 exactly matches the one seen when using a Vodacom sim. This suggests rain is merely piggybacking off Vodacom's physical infrastructure in this case.

 

[cavedog]

Could we just clarify this point? That Vodacom broadcasts the rain network ID using its tower and antennas? I have a local tower that has had zero physical changes since rain started. The tower ID 77603329 exactly matches the one seen when using a Vodacom sim. This suggests rain is merely piggybacking off Vodacom's physical infrastructure in this case.

I have only seen it once on a Vodacom tower before where Rain uses the same sector antennas as Vodacom. I was suspecting but obviously can not confirm.

Even then Rain does not roam on Vodacom and the network is not shared unless I have a different definition of roaming.

For me roaming means network a does not have towers, network equipment and the customers of network A connects to network B's network using the same spectrum and same technology.


If Rain shares a tower or sector antenna the equipment and network backhaul will still be theirs because they own spectrum in B41. No one else can have that spectrum.


I have done some some tests. On your Vodacom simcard. Insert it in a B618 and force B38. Okay it works. Now force the Rain sim to B38. Okay cell id matches. Vodacom roaming on Rain because we know for a FACT that Vodacom does not have spectrum in that band.

Now force both simcards to band 1. Only the Vodacom one should work and the Rain simcard won't. It means the Vodacom sim is on it's own network and we know for a FACT Rain does not own spectrum in band 1.

This is a very easy trick to test the roaming and I wil be VERY stunned if the Rain simcard works on Band 1 or Band 8 which vodacom has LTE on.

 

[dotcat]

I have only seen it once on a Vodacom tower before where Rain uses the same sector antennas as Vodacom. I was suspecting but obviously can not confirm.

Even then Rain does not roam on Vodacom and the network is not shared unless I have a different definition of roaming.

For me roaming means network a does not have towers, network equipment and the customers of network A connects to network B's network using the same spectrum and same technology.


If Rain shares a tower or sector antenna the equipment and network backhaul will still be theirs because they own spectrum in B41. No one else can have that spectrum.


I have done some some tests. On your Vodacom simcard. Insert it in a B618 and force B38. Okay it works. Now force the Rain sim to B38. Okay cell id matches. Vodacom roaming on Rain because we know for a FACT that Vodacom does not have spectrum in that band.

Now force both simcards to band 1. Only the Vodacom one should work and the Rain simcard won't. It means the Vodacom sim is on it's own network and we know for a FACT Rain does not own spectrum in band 1.

This is a very easy trick to test the roaming and I wil be VERY stunned if the Rain simcard works on Band 1 or Band 8 which vodacom has LTE on.

So this what the rain network team said about the tower in my area: "The closest tower is 19_031_0313_Wfront_VOD_KZN is 2.3km away and has only Band 3 frequency ."

 

[cavedog]

So this what the rain network team said about the tower in my area: "The closest tower is 19_031_0313_Wfront_VOD_KZN is 2.3km away and has only Band 3 frequency ."

If they do share the same sector antennas it would make sense because there will not be enough plugs to serve both Rain and Vodacom so they probably just rolled out B3 until they get their own antenna up.

Did some testing again last night and my Rain simcard does not get servuce if I force band 1 or band 8 but my Vodacom simcard works fine. Just confirms they aren't roaming on Vodacom but might be sharing equipment on certain towers.

 

[dotcat]

If they do share the same sector antennas it would make sense because there will not be enough plugs to serve both Rain and Vodacom so they probably just rolled out B3 until they get their own antenna up.

Did some testing again last night and my Rain simcard does not get servuce if I force band 1 or band 8 but my Vodacom simcard works fine. Just confirms they aren't roaming on Vodacom but might be sharing equipment on certain towers.

Here is the 2 sims data and the antenna in question. Only 2 cables - 1 band? i get the feeling this is what rain have done in most non-city areas to give them wider coverage.

 

[cavedog]

Here is the 2 sims data and the antenna in question. Only 2 cables - 1 band? i get the feeling this is what rain have done in most non-city areas to give them wider coverage. View attachment 730113 View attachment 730115

Same in Richards bay. From my post here and the pic below. Sector antennas right on top is Vodacom. Rain is also on the tower but using the same sector antennas. Way more wires plugged into them.

More on SA cell towers

Herewith some close up shots of an 8ta site I found in one of my libraries. Not sure where or when they were taken though. Should be interesting to hear what's what hehe! Nice pics, Fluffyct - thanks for sharing ! Any idea what was in the pink bags - spares ? Nuts, bolts, fuses, connectors ...

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