Vodacom expands 3G HSDPA coverage

[rpm]

Hi folks

I think the press release issue is best discussed here: http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=150674

Just to add some other points of view here: Please consider all aspects of press releases – and other information – before starting to criticize press-release based articles. Like:

--What is the turnaround time for comment from the other players involved? If one week, will the information still be relevant?
--What resources are available to investigate each press statement in depth? Is it better that the information in the press release is in the public domain or that a well researched article is produced?
--Are all publications the same: hence pure information sharing versus well researched and even investigative journalism?
--Well researched articles may be 2000 words per article…do you want to read it online?
--Do you handle well written press statements different from marketing babble? How do you decide?

There are a myriad of similar questions, and to simply say all parties must comment, well research articles are the only way and the like is short sighted and not well thought through. For example: Why not simply ask for peer review for accuracy before publication and waiting for months for any article? The quality will be most excellent, well researched and of the highest academic standard! I think you get my point

 

[NathanCrow]

well no offence but why do people stay in these dodgy towns? I understand the whole farming thing, but staying "in" one of these towns must be hell for a young person!!!

Well If you were born there,theres no place like home

 

[nictron]

well no offence but why do people stay in these dodgy towns? I understand the whole farming thing, but staying "in" one of these towns must be hell for a young person!!!

I spend my first 18 years of my life in a small town, and I miss the freedom and the sense of safety and community. The city is just not as safe as some of these smaller towns. Sure the money is less and technology is sometimes non existent, but if you grow up without it it rarely bothers you at all.

By the way to call a small town dodgy is just plain rude, as you see people in smaller towns as lesser beings compared to yourself, so because you are a city dweller that makes you more of a human being or a better person?

If I were you I would apologise for that statement!

 

[mcleodd]

I am personally hesitant to go on holiday in a place without HSDPA coverage

What I want to know is where Vodacom (or MTN or Cell C) *doesn't* have any coverage -- are there any places left other than the middle of the Kalahari Desert? If such a place exists in South Africa, that's where I want to spend my next holiday!

 

[rpm]

What I want to know is where Vodacom (or MTN or Cell C) *doesn't* have any coverage -- are there any places left other than the middle of the Kalahari Desert? If such a place exists in South Africa, that's where I want to spend my next holiday!

Vodacom just messed up the far corners of the Westerns and Northern Cape for you, but I think you will find that there are some places in Limpopo Province left without coverage – with some luck you may even find that Malaria has not been eradicated there yet and that running water and electricity are considered a luxury

 

[cavedog]

Vodacom Suck! To be honest I think MTN has more 3G coverage than vodacom! Where I stay I get 3G 24/7 and everywhere I go. Vodacom I don't even get EDGE. MTN has a outdated coverage map. On that old map they say I don't even have EDGE but Ive got it everywhere! MTN! Everywhere you go!!

 

[Pitbull]

Vodacom Suck! To be honest I think MTN has more 3G coverage than vodacom! Where I stay I get 3G 24/7 and everywhere I go. Vodacom I don't even get EDGE. MTN has a outdated coverage map. On that old map they say I don't even have EDGE but Ive got it everywhere! MTN! Everywhere you go!!

hehe

MTN should employ you as a marketer

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

well no offence but why do people stay in these dodgy towns? I understand the whole farming thing, but staying "in" one of these towns must be hell for a young person!!!

There could never be any offence in any comments to my statement. But I have family in-law that lives in that one-horse town.

 

[<moLe>]

Suppose u guys are right...I spent a big part of my life on a farm in the karoo, loved it, bakkies,tractors.four wheelers and the season river...best place for a boy to be.........
but even then I felt sorry for the kids staying in the little town that was the closest, there
is just nothing to do in these towns! sure the crime is low and all but shame, seriously....
but okay city kids are even worse I suppose little mall brats..no very gratefull for having
been able to grow up on our farm...and no did not mean to insult anyone.

 

[anathema]

Suppose u guys are right...I spent a big part of my life on a farm in the karoo, loved it, bakkies,tractors.four wheelers and the season river...best place for a boy to be.........
but even then I felt sorry for the kids staying in the little town that was the closest, there
is just nothing to do in these towns! sure the crime is low and all but shame, seriously....
but okay city kids are even worse I suppose little mall brats..no very gratefull for having
been able to grow up on our farm...and no did not mean to insult anyone.

OT: You do not miss what you do not know.

 

[AirWolf]

Sheppie is small town, but we've got both MTN and Vodacom 3G/HSDPA coverage.

One thing about coming from a small town, is that you hate the [road] traffic in the cities.

 

[Tweak]

Vodacom Suck! To be honest I think MTN has more 3G coverage than vodacom! Where I stay I get 3G 24/7 and everywhere I go. Vodacom I don't even get EDGE. MTN has a outdated coverage map. On that old map they say I don't even have EDGE but Ive got it everywhere! MTN! Everywhere you go!!

Mtn is alot more focussed on rolling out developments than bragging about it. Mybragband.co.za lol

 

[Hummercellc]

Ok how about richmond, ixopo, thornville in KZN?

carry on dreaming

 

[Nomino]

“We are working hard to make sure that the whole of South Africa has the ability to connect to the internet through our 3G HSDPA network - whether you are based in Cape Town or in Darling.”

Areas now covered by Vodacom’s 3G HSDPA network in the Western and Northern Cape include:

Laingville, Stompneusbaai, Club Mykonos, Piketberg, Morreesburg, Darling, Yzerfontein, Grabouw, Villiersdorp, Robertson, Scarborough, Rooi Els, Betty's Bay, Kleinmond, Gansbaai, Bredasdorp, L'Agulhas, Struisbaai, Riversdale, Stilbaai, Prince Albert, Jongensfontein, Franskraalstrand, Citrusdal and Saronsberg.

Bull dust!

Maybe the centre of Stilbaai but that is it - typical Vodacom crap.

 

[cavedog]

Here you. With vodacom you only get 3G in Richards Bay Central. Now Vodacom says Richards Bay is covered. WTF? None of the residential areas actually even get 3G. But according to vodacom Richards Bay is "covered" MTN has coverage in the WHOLE Richards Bay. Now that's what I call TRUE 3G coverage!

 

[tjunyat]

Sure, Vodacom may be covering the parts in between the Northern and Western Cape, but when are they actually going to sort out their coverage within the Western Cape? Cape Town specifically.
Until recently, I lived in Tokai and prior to that, in Claremont. At neither residence was there any Vodacom 3g coverage and the actual GSM signal just for receiving/sending phone calls in Claremont was also shocking.
Vodacom said they were building a new tower there, however, couldn't give me a date as to when it would be up, the first call I logged was over a year ago, I doubt it's up yet.

On the other hand, I have both a Vodacom and an MTN sim and have way less hassles getting coverage with MTN, even though it's a pay as you go vs a business contract for the Vodacom account.

 

[ambo]

What I want to know is where Vodacom (or MTN or Cell C) *doesn't* have any coverage -- are there any places left other than the middle of the Kalahari Desert? If such a place exists in South Africa, that's where I want to spend my next holiday!

Having spent the last two weeks holidaying in some parts of the WC I can mention the following places:
Clanwilliam has only GPRS coverage on VC - Clanwilliam dam is a rather popular spot for the Cape boating crowd.
Most of the Cederberg wilderness area has no Vodacom coverage at all. I've chatted with V3G and his buddies about this and I know the locals are trying to retain the "rustic atmosphere" but I had to get an MTN (yug) prepaid SIM to do some of the emergency server admin that cbrunsdonza was talking about. Managed to find some pretty usable MTN signal from a few of the koppies about half a km from where I was staying but nothing from VC.

 

[vodacom3g]

Bull dust!

Maybe the centre of Stilbaai but that is it - typical Vodacom crap.

When last did you test?

Vodacom in Stilbaai has 2 sites offering 3G coverage over most of Stilbaai with an external antenna and Vodacom now covers Jongensfontein with 3G as well.

Obviously when line-of-sight is obstructed by terrain (areas behind hills and along the river), 3G coverage will not be possible, and other operators will have the same problems in these areas.

 

[vodacom3g]

Sure, Vodacom may be covering the parts in between the Northern and Western Cape, but when are they actually going to sort out their coverage within the Western Cape? Cape Town specifically.
Until recently, I lived in Tokai and prior to that, in Claremont. At neither residence was there any Vodacom 3g coverage and the actual GSM signal just for receiving/sending phone calls in Claremont was also shocking.
Vodacom said they were building a new tower there, however, couldn't give me a date as to when it would be up, the first call I logged was over a year ago, I doubt it's up yet.

On the other hand, I have both a Vodacom and an MTN sim and have way less hassles getting coverage with MTN, even though it's a pay as you go vs a business contract for the Vodacom account.

As the guys said to you, we're in a continuous process of trying to get new towers up, but it's often near impossible, especially in areas like Tokia as the local community will often block the site selection process.

The other, quite sad, fact is that there are often more backhaul available in the outer regions than in the city itself.....

So as I always say, if you can help us to get a tower up, let's speak.

 

[RVFmal]

TBH, why should any of the journo's have to ask the competitors if they cover the area when VC (or any other business) do a press release? The onus rests on each of the companies to do their own marketing, not for journo's to do it for them.

It is very possible that MTN, Cell C are more intent on rolling out base stations and coverage than putting out 'spin-releases' However it does backfire when no-one knows about it

And as to small towns, I grew up in a few (due to my fathers choice of occupation - and no, he was not a farmer) and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed living 'in the sticks'. Granted we had to make do with living without many of the amenties that city kids grew up with, but that allowed us to develop our own imaginations to keep us occupied (and we did have schools which taught the same curriculum as the cities). We also had a hell of a sight less stress (same cannot be said today unfortunately).

If it weren't for the fact that most of ones occupational requirements meant that we had to live so close to the cities, I would be quite happy to move to a small town again.

So right now, MTN may have had coverage in all those towns listed but because Vodacom got to put their spin out anyone reading this will probably just buy a Vodacom SIM first.

EDIT: Does anyone go and ask the other mobile providers for comment before running these stories? Something like "Vodacom's talking about how awesome their coverage is. Got any reply on how your coverage compares in these same towns?"