The biggest winners and losers under the new spectrum policy

[Jamie McKane]

The biggest winners and losers under the new spectrum policy

The Department of Communications published its policy on high-demand spectrum in July, an act which paves the way for this valuable resource to be given to operators.

While it is encouraging that the spectrum assignment process can now progress, there are good reasons for big operators to be concerned.

 

[Swa]

TL;DR
Rain – Winner
Liquid Telecom – Winner
Small operators – Winner
Vodacom – Loser
MTN – Loser
South African consumers – Loser

 

[Swa]

So with all the correct winners and losers why are consumers seen as the losers?

 

[Chris.Geerdts]

So with all the correct winners and losers why are consumers seen as the losers?

We are still sitting with high fees and low speeds relative to many other countries

 

[wingnut771]

and why is cell c being ignored, aren't they small like rain, not that I care about them, and telkom mobile?

 

[Stevewarren]

So with all the correct winners and losers why are consumers seen as the losers?

Because it's only Vodacom and MTN that can actually deliver data to most of South Africa at the moment.

 

[DXL]

So with all the correct winners and losers why are consumers seen as the losers?

I found myself asking the same question too.

 

[DXL]

I honestly believe that Vodacom and MTN should be given some spectrum in the 5G rollout.
However they must be held to task on Obligations.

1. Open up your networks to smaller players.
2. Offer cost + 25% wholesale Tariffs for resellers.
3. Rollout 100% of rural Coverage first.
4. Reduce the Cost of Data to under R10 a Gigabyte on Prepaid.
5. Build capacity in urban areas and townships.
6. Free Night surfer data for every Gig Purchased

 

[Bad1]

Excellent, vodascum and mtn dog crap held data prices high for many years, think about 1 gig of data, it can last a few minutes these days but both vodascum and mtn crap held the price at R149 a gig for many years, and the people in rural areas and other poor people payed and are still paying R149 a gig, they never made data affordable but only wanted billions in profit, mtn and vodacom held a monopoly, its either you pay crazy price for data or not, telkom and cell c reduced the price of data forcing mtn a vodacom scum to follow, before that they cared nothing for us consumers, if mtn and vodacom are given the spectrum, we consumers will never pay affordable rates for an uncapped lte solution but we might end up paying double considering mtn and vodacom history of profits before people, excellent work by icasa, if only they can act on multichoice, dstv is the only option South Africa has to watch sport, think about all the rural areas, that's most of our country, and that's most of us cant afford dstv premium. The milking of the poor has to stop. Telkom has offered affordable data even though they had to build infrastructure, mtn and vodacom have all the towers setup for years and probably paid for itself for years over but never reduced the price of data, port away from mtn and vodacom and watch how they will reduce the price of data to keep customers happy, say no to high profits at the expense of South African people

 

[Swa]

We are still sitting with high fees and low speeds relative to many other countries

More spectrum won't change that.

Because it's only Vodacom and MTN that can actually deliver data to most of South Africa at the moment.

Funny, I get far more from Cell C and soon Rain than I'll ever get from either eMpTyN or Vodacon.

 

[Stevewarren]

More spectrum won't change that.


Funny, I get far more from Cell C and soon Rain than I'll ever get from either eMpTyN or Vodacon.

Funny there is no rain coverage where I live and cell c roams on MTN here.

 

[Chris.Geerdts]

More spectrum won't change that

Operators would offer larger data bundles at the same price points

 

[Bad1]

Operators would offer larger data bundles at the same price points

Consider vodacom and mtn, they have all the infrastructure in place for years, which has paid for itself many times over but still continue to sell data at R149 a gig in 2019, i can bet you these two scum companies will never bring down cost of data, never ever, but milk us South Africans to please shareholders in other countries!

 

[Swa]

Operators would offer larger data bundles at the same price points

If they haven't done it in the last 5 years they won't. And what's larger? 100MB extra when buying a 1GB bundle at R149? Our data costs 10 times more for a large bundle than what a small bundle should cost.