Vodacom boosts broadband network and subscribers

kimbo said:
jannie please check for me if the Allanridge tower will be upgraded, wile VC boasts about the hectic speeds we here still just get EDGE if we lucky.
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I can only get "edge" where I stay. There is no way that broadband can be a choice to me : Location : Helderstroom, between Caledon and Villiersdorp, on the R43 to Greyton.

Maybe we will get 3G in the next decade ??????? Or sooner, Mr Van Zyl from Vodacom ??? I am not sarcastic or making jokes.
 
kimbo said:
jannie please check for me if the Allanridge tower will be upgraded, wile VC boasts about the hectic speeds we here still just get EDGE if we lucky.
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Allanridge have been earmarked for 3G for quite a while but the network we're supposed to have co-located with have been a bit problematic giving us access to their mast. Apparently they 'sold' it. And now are trying to charge a king's ransom to do so. :rolleyes:

But it looks like it's getting sorted, so the planning process will pick up within the next while. Now let's hope there's adequate transmission to the site.
 
h0ll0w said:
Guys you need to see the bigger picture here.

At least vodacom are always innovating and progressing. You can say what you want about our mobile operators, but the one thing you cannot take away from them is that they put telkom to shame. (If only Telkom cared)

At least they're not so pathetic as to keep making excuses for why we cannot have good mobile broadband.
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Yep - Wouldn't Telkom be only too happy to have 8.7 million data users on all of its local infrastructure?!
 
Well done VC your profitability is great! However, you have noticed your competition are eating into your market share - big time! They are pushing prices down and this could affect your future revenue and/or profits. You have taken comfort in broadband population coverage but your competition is spreading its wings around this as well.
 
vzta22 said:
Well done VC your profitability is great! However, you have noticed your competition are eating into your market share - big time! They are pushing prices down and this could affect your future revenue and/or profits. You have taken comfort in broadband population coverage but your competition is spreading its wings around this as well.
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And you base this on?
 
jannievanzyl said:
Allanridge have been earmarked for 3G for quite a while but the network we're supposed to have co-located with have been a bit problematic giving us access to their mast. Apparently they 'sold' it. And now are trying to charge a king's ransom to do so. :rolleyes:

But it looks like it's getting sorted, so the planning process will pick up within the next while. Now let's hope there's adequate transmission to the site.
Click to expand...

So you guys are sharing Towers with Cell C, now American Tower Corp? Great to see that Cell C's initiative is finally taking off. All the cellular operators should co-operate with co-location and sharing of infrastructure. +1 to Cell C for getting the ball rolling in a big way.
 
ToxicWazte said:
So you guys are sharing Towers with Cell C, now American Tower Corp? Great to see that Cell C's initiative is finally taking off. All the cellular operators should co-operate with co-location and sharing of infrastructure. +1 to Cell C for getting the ball rolling in a big way.
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You've got it wrong.

Co-location or site sharing have been happening for many years. Amongst all the operators. Cell C have a SUBSTANTIAL number of sites on Vodacom towers for example. EVeryone is on everyone else's towers.

This is not a new thing.

Actually what is new is selling your towers so the new owner can substantially INCREASE the monthly rental fees to make profit of it. Not sure if this is going to help co-location.
 
jannievanzyl said:
You've got it wrong.

Co-location or site sharing have been happening for many years. Amongst all the operators. Cell C have a SUBSTANTIAL number of sites on Vodacom towers for example. EVeryone is on everyone else's towers.

This is not a new thing.

Actually what is new is selling your towers so the new owner can substantially INCREASE the monthly rental fees to make profit of it. Not sure if this is going to help co-location.
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I think I need to provide more detail to my commending of Cell C:

I understand that co-location, especially between MTN and Vodacom on long distance routes (like our national highways) and in rural areas, has been happening for a very long time. But co-location in towns and more dense areas hasn't had as much success, and in fact, I've heard that Vodacom/MTN refuse to co-locate with newcomers Telkom/8.ta and Cell C, as allowing them access to infrastructure helps to speed up their network rollouts DRASTICALLY. There is no site-procurement, fighting with nearby residents and communities, doing lengthy EIAs, etc.

And Vodacom and MTN are a well-known Cartel that have been operating for many years. Just looking back at the story of the interconnect fees since Cell C was launched, is evidence enough. You know the details already - I don't need to bore you with it. So saying that co-location between 2 operates acting as a cartel has been happening for many years already - this is very laughable. When true co-location starts happening, on a grand scale, open to all operators with a valid license (amongst other important things), then you can say that co-location is here.

We don't want to hear about the current and previous cartel-like co-location between MTN and Vodacom. Also, the roaming agreement which allows Cell C to roam on Vodacom's base stations does not count as co-location. Thats a whole other issue altogether.

Getting back to my point - since Cell C have sold their towers to American Tower Corp, co-location has been thrown wide-open. Anyone with a valid license should be able to rent space from ATC, including the likes of Neotel, iBurst, Screamer, etc. This is the model that is taking over in Europe, and I recently read that in the UK, something like 8000 redundant base stations were removed, after regulations forced the operators to co-locate and share infrastructure. This is the model of the future, and I commend Cell C for forging ahead with it and not being all nervous about it like the rest of the operators.

Also, not to be forgotten, Cell C have to be commended for their FibreCo project, which will be an open-access fibre network, open to all operators with a valid license. Cell C's base stations and sites, will be used as the sites for co-location equipment to be housed for the FibreCo network. In my opinion, this is revolutionary stuff. In 5 years time, the telecoms industry is going to be immensely different.

Exciting times ahead. Thanks to Cell C.

Whoooooooooooooooosh!
 
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vzta22 said:
Well done VC your profitability is great! However, you have noticed your competition are eating into your market share - big time! They are pushing prices down and this could affect your future revenue and/or profits. You have taken comfort in broadband population coverage but your competition is spreading its wings around this as well.
Click to expand...

Like the headline states " Vodacom boosts broadband subscribers", enough said.
 
ToxicWazte said:
I think I need to provide more detail to my commending of Cell C:

I understand that co-location, especially between MTN and Vodacom on long distance routes (like our national highways) and in rural areas, has been happening for a very long time. But co-location in towns and more dense areas hasn't had as much success, and in fact, I've heard that Vodacom/MTN refuse to co-locate with newcomers Telkom/8.ta and Cell C, as allowing them access to infrastructure helps to speed up their network rollouts DRASTICALLY. There is no site-procurement, fighting with nearby residents and communities, doing lengthy EIAs, etc.

And Vodacom and MTN are a well-known Cartel that have been operating for many years. Just looking back at the story of the interconnect fees since Cell C was launched, is evidence enough. You know the details already - I don't need to bore you with it. So saying that co-location between 2 operates acting as a cartel has been happening for many years already - this is very laughable. When true co-location starts happening, on a grand scale, open to all operators with a valid license (amongst other important things), then you can say that co-location is here.

We don't want to hear about the current and previous cartel-like co-location between MTN and Vodacom. Also, the roaming agreement which allows Cell C to roam on Vodacom's base stations does not count as co-location. Thats a whole other issue altogether.

Getting back to my point - since Cell C have sold their towers to American Tower Corp, co-location has been thrown wide-open. Anyone with a valid license should be able to rent space from ATC, including the likes of Neotel, iBurst, Screamer, etc. This is the model that is taking over in Europe, and I recently read that in the UK, something like 8000 redundant base stations were removed, after regulations forced the operators to co-locate and share infrastructure. This is the model of the future, and I commend Cell C for forging ahead with it and not being all nervous about it like the rest of the operators.

Also, not to be forgotten, Cell C have to be commended for their FibreCo project, which will be an open-access fibre network, open to all operators with a valid license. Cell C's base stations and sites, will be used as the sites for co-location equipment to be housed for the FibreCo network. In my opinion, this is revolutionary stuff. In 5 years time, the telecoms industry is going to be immensely different.

Exciting times ahead. Thanks to Cell C.

Whoooooooooooooooosh!
Click to expand...

No, you really have got this wrong.

The various operators have been sharing each other's towers for many years and pay each other monthly rental fees to do so. Ask the various reps on this forum and they'll confirm it. It's very expensive to put up a green fields environment (and bloody difficult with EIA and what not) so it makes much more sense to co-locate where possible. Especially for the smaller operators that have cash restrictions in rolling out new towers.

All Cell C did was to sell this monthly income stream to generate cash. Not saying it's a bad thing, there are many good reasons to do so and all the operators are looking into similar business opportunities. But to believe selling to ATC started co-location is just not correct. Thousands of 'towers' today are hosted by the various operators on their competitors' civils. I know, I have the numbers.

Maybe ask Cell C on how many Vodacom towers they are today. ;)
 
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