Vodacom had virtual networks all this time?!

[SUPERMAN89]

While I was around Wikipedia I found something very special about South Africa

http://mybroadband.co.za/photos/showphoto.php?photo=5391&cat=500
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_Network_Code

And a little Google gave me

http://www.itel.co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=33


And in 2006 Business Report

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?from=rss_&fArticleId=3083011

..""Last year (2005) Vodacom signed a mobile virtual network operator agreement with five Usals: Bokamoso Telecoms, Amatole Telecommunication Communications, Karabo Telecoms, Bokone Telecoms and Kingdom Communications. MTN had also signed a roaming agreement with T3.""

So it seems like Cell C isn’t the only piggy back network

The thing is that these networks were running for so many years in South Africa yet hasn’t being publicly known...I mean the people I spoken to where shocked to know there are these networks running

Anyone know anything more about this?

 

[3G4me]

Weren't these the licenses issued by the Government for them to role out in the rural areas? From what I remember, it was very political at the time... haven't heard whether they were successful or not though.

 

[KaasP]

As far as I remember, the gist of the USAL agreements was that subs were billed at lower tariffs in a specific geographic (read previously disadvantaged) area.
I think the fact that so few people know about their existence speaks volumes of the success (or lack thereof) of this initiative.

 

[SUPERMAN89]

YEAP,i also found out that alot of money was given for these network as a kick-start