SNO Telecoms in starting blocks

ic said:
why should SNOT be given advantages and access to prime low frequency when its existing competitors were not allowed this luxury?
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The cell networks have ...

900Mhz initial GSM band
1800Mhz second GSM band (dual-band) for urban areas
2100Mhz UMTS for 3G/HSDPA

I dont think SNOT is asking for more than others.
 
ic said:
That would be an example of comparing apples & oranges ;).
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While you do have a case for unfairness against WBS & Sentech, my point is that when Vodacom & MTN were rolling out the networks, they too were afforded the 'luxury' of low freq./long-range spectrum (i.e. 900Mhz).

At the end of the day the main question is, would it be more or less beneficial for broadband access & pricing in S.A. if SNOT were to get use of the 800Mhz spectrum?
 
I don't understand the issue:

At present the Cellphone companies allows their 3G towers to "breath" - expand when there is low demand and contract under strain.

Obviously there is more demand than towers can handle and then no need for longer distances.

Was 3G designed at all for long distances, or is the specification of the service already limiting the distance over which it can work.

The way I understand it, you need higher frequencies to carry more data and services have to balance the range/speed issues very carefully.

I don't see the issue:

ICASA has to force Sentech to adapt international practice using spectrum efficiently and staying within the internationally acceptable ranges.

Then SNOt can have its fixed wireless frequency (as long as it stays fixed and not become mobile).

The issue is that Telkom needs decent competition.
 
Hrm i think they pinning ALL their hopes on getting it which is kinda silly. I just hpe they sell bandwidth soon on the adsl network, that would drop saix and IS charges alot, then again they probably will charge the same. Anyways I dislike the whole wireless access route cause most wireless equipment is alot more expensive.
 
If it gives us better prices and services then why not? Telkom has had had its hand held for years. Time someone who knows what they are doing gets a kickstart.
 
ic said:
Will SNOT's CDMA-based 800MHz wireless broadband network [for home consumers - not businesses] give better latencies than ADSL? - especially when SNOT has effectively zero experience of running a broadband network from the outset...

Will SNOT's CDMA-broadband even be competing with Telkodemonopolies' HomeDSL, or will it only be competing with the rest of the wireless broadband networks?

It's hard to speculate, but at a guess I'd say that SNOT's CDMA would not be sufficient competition to Telkodemonopolies' HomeDSL to force HomeDSL pricing down to affordable levels, which leaves us consumers with little to no change in the current situation.
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Very good point and a fair comment. However I would just like to state that in principle I have no sympathy for Telkom, Sentech, Iburst, Vodacom & MTN and any of the surrent crop of internet access providers. They have all been in a position to offer us a decent product with decent pricing and have failed. Telkom and Sentech have had massive government intervention and subsidies in their favour.

So, in principle, if the SNO receives a bit of 'unfair' help along the way, I dont have a moral issue with it.

I still dont know why the want to follow this particular avenue though...
 
Best idea would be LLU! Wish SNOt asked for that! But then again, would their request be honoured? Don't think so! But IMO that is the only correct option for real competition!
 
Freshy-ZN said:
Very good point and a fair comment. However I would just like to state that in principle I have no sympathy for Telkom, Sentech, Iburst, Vodacom & MTN and any of the surrent crop of internet access providers. They have all been in a position to offer us a decent product with decent pricing and have failed. Telkom and Sentech have had massive government intervention and subsidies in their favour.

So, in principle, if the SNO receives a bit of 'unfair' help along the way, I dont have a moral issue with it.
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My thoughts exactly. All the other players had their chance and they shafted US. So who cares if they get shafted in return. Certainly not me. I say good for them. What's the big issue over one frequency which shouldn't be in use any way. Is it so hard to tune a tv set? We had to do it once when they swapped around two of the frequencies. Now suddenly they are complaining about having to change one frequency. :rolleyes:

SA doing things backwards as usually, wanting to implement digital tv when the rest of the world is leaning towards broadband tv. SNOT has my support. Where can I sign the petition?
 
ic said:
Either all the wireless broadband network operators are granted shared access to 800MHz or none at all - that is IMO the only fair way of dealing with this situation.
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In a true free market environment that would be ideal, however thing can only happen within our current regulatory framework (unless it changes drastcially).

Sentech & IBurst are not of the same status as SNOT, they operate their services under VANs licsences (together with their freq. lic.) while SNOT holds a fully fledged PSTN lic. As such they probably have a case for some preferential treatment.

The real (regulatory) solution would be to allow Sentech, iBurst & whoever else has the appetite to apply for a true PSTN lic., then we can have a level playing field.

ettubrute said:
Best idea would be LLU! Wish SNOt asked for that! But then again, would their request be honoured? Don't think so! But IMO that is the only correct option for real competition!
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Dont worry, they'll be getting that too ... the CDMA option is not their one & only solution.
 
ic said:
I don't see myself signing up with SNOT ...
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My view on this (as posted in another thread):
/me said:
Ok, here's my suggestion, and people will probably flame me for it, but who cares? (Virtual flames don't hurt! )

If SNOT's prices are on par with teklom, we (ALL consumers, including companies) should boycott SNOT, till they drop their prices... Economics 101! If they have invested a lot of money in an infrastructure, and nobody uses it, they loose. Thus, to attract business to recover their investment, they WILL drop the prices... a business will rather do with less profits than incur a loss!

Only bad thing is... SA consumers don't seem to be able to grasp this concept...
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ic said:
I don't see myself signing up with SNOT for CDMA-broadband [regardless of the frequency that gets licensed], IMO CDMA is not a sexy broadband option, I was expecting WiMax from SNOT.
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I think you are underestimating the powers and benefits of a fixed wireless solution such as CDMA. In SA, there is a stigma that when it comes to wireless it means low speeds, unreliable connectivity and high latencies. If implemented correctly and in a low frequency range, I think CDMA-broadband can be a cheap and effective competitor to ADSL.

Wireless technologies can be just as good and even better in some cases (SA) than ADSL, it all depends on the quality of the network and the quality of deployment, and the planning of such a network.
 
ic said:
Yes, I would love to do that, but it isn't practical when dealing with differing technologies - I just don't have disposable income to allocate to a CDMA-SNOT device [unless it's really cheap & I don't need a contract to get it], ultimately I would like SNOT to offer xDSL - preferably ADSL2+ which my Billion modem supports & should be backwards compatible for everyone with an ordinary ADSL modem - then I could happily switch between SNOT & Telkodemonopolies, which would force them to compete with one another directly as do Vodacom & MTN with 3G|HSDPA since you can stick a sim card from either network into a data card [or phone used as a modem] and be up & running on a competing network within minutes, unfortunately the same will not be true with SNOT if it decides that we must use CDMA instead of ADSL in our homes...
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Yup, I fully agree... we need a wired/fiber-optic SNOt solution into our houses to replace Telkom telephony at a minimum, and ultimately blow Telkom's ADSL offerings away.

Someone wake me when SNOtech/SNOburst comes up with a reliable, low-latency, high-bandwidth, fairly-priced home broadband solution... CDMA?! What an inauspicious start - makes the incumbent look cutting edge.
 
There is no way we are going to get cheaper FIXED line services with this pathetic approach. It is high time the government opens up the market completely! FFS, I cannot believe this ****! :mad: This is NOT competition to Telkom. We are simply being treated like children by a bunch of baffoons in government protecting Telkom at all cost. This is bad news people. VERY BAD NEWS! We knew wireless was part of the solution, but it seems like this will be their MAIN drive...
 
Why the Fetish over Wired Networks.

In SA they will not work as Fibre Cable is stripped of its sheathing and used as Thatching on Mud Huts in the locations. Don't even start talking about coppers lifespan in the ground.

Non physically wired networks are the only way to go, (remember, they must cover the country and not just inner Gauteng, where the market for unsheathed fibre may not be that great.

A CDMA Station in every Transnet Station, siding and Eskom Site. The power is there already.

Also remember that 99% of the country knows the internet as dialup only, so if the SNOT can blanket the ENTIRE country with 512K - 1024K CDMA based data at a cheap price (Using a proven technology that is already fully financially depreciated) think of the social and economic benefits. I say, give them the frequency and ICASA should force Sentech to apply first world frequency management.

Those okes in Gauteng who want low latency all ports open Service, buy it from Telkom.
 
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i'm just worried of this wireless gold plated equipment the wireless providers use that seem to push up prices ;) but yah advantage of wired solution in metropol is that the stuff is in the ground already, and that generally(well besides isdn/digital) analogue devices are cheap. CDMA handset will be expensive.

In poor area's fixed wireless would be the way to go, but in developed area's i think its gonna be a waste esp fixed wireless.
 
Toby said:
Also remember that 99% of the country knows the internet as dialup only, so if the SNOT can blanket the ENTIRE country with 512K - 1024K CDMA based data at a cheap price (Using a proven technology that is already fully financially depreciated) think of the social and economic benefits.
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I must admit that I know very little about this technology. But if it can provide anything like 512K - 1024K for cheaper than the same speed adsl atm, then it is a viable option for us. We don't need the latest technology at the fastest speeds, we need a reliable cheap network accessible by more people. It also makes more sense to start slowly and first establish a user base before jumping in the deep end. You can always upgrade the network later.
 
Roman4604 said:
For interest here's what SNOT's doing back home (India) ... not CDMA tho. Still a massive fixed wireless rollout ... 65 cities covered, growing to 200.

http://www.broadbandtrends.com/News Articles/2006/March 2006/Aperto_VNSL_03172006.htm
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Why does VSNL/SNOt strongly back wifi in this link, but then strongly back CDMA in this thrread's news article? Strange inconsistency.... seems like they have built up huge amounts of real-world experience with wifi, but aren't going to deploy it here.
 
ic said:
IMO SNOT is too chicken to compete head-on with Telkodemonopolies in the xDSL arena
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ic, what makes you believe this?

It always obvious to me that SNOT would persue a dual pronged approach of utilising both wired & wireless.
 
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