Vodacom unsure how to progress with WiMax client installation

[semiautomatix]

This seems rather strange to me. I have received the following email from iBurst:

"iBurst have experienced some technical delays with the trial installations of the WiMAX solution. As soon as these delays have been resolved, the iBurst project coordinator will be in contact with you to arrange a technical site survey."

I have been told that Vodacom will be doing their installations; however, they are unable to proceed due to problems with a rollout programme for client installations.

I honestly thought this was not much different from an iBurst installation, namely: you receive a router, plug it in and you should receive signal.

Why problems could Vodacom be experiencing?

 

[ambo]

Why problems could Vodacom be experiencing?

A WiMax (or any other telecoms) network does not fall out of the sky.

Even once the base stations have been built - which has happened from what I can see on some sites - there is still a lot of work to be done. It can take weeks or months to build backhaul networks, build core networks, deploy core services, integrate provisioning platforms, integrate billing platforms and finally - tweak the whole system to be usable.

WiMax is also not yet a mature technology and presents a huge learning curve for the people deploying it. All in good time sir

 

[semiautomatix]

A WiMax (or any other telecoms) network does not fall out of the sky.

Even once the base stations have been built - which has happened from what I can see on some sites - there is still a lot of work to be done. It can take weeks or months to build backhaul networks, build core networks, deploy core services, integrate provisioning platforms, integrate billing platforms and finally - tweak the whole system to be usable.

WiMax is also not yet a mature technology and presents a huge learning curve for the people deploying it. All in good time sir

All good and well, but why offer trials and be unable to setup the network? Surely Vodacom believes these steps to be achieved yet their process is stalled. How indeed can you begin trials without building the entire back infrastructure and supporting structures first? I can't imagine Vodacom spending all this capital on 80-odd base stations and then having no core network.

So as you see, the impression Vodacom gives is that all that has been completed and client installations should be going ahead. As such, what is the problem? Or have Vodacom been spewing forth Telkomesque lies about the actual progress of their WiMax rollout?

Did someone overstep their bounds? Bit off more than they can chew? (Add a few more Anne Robinson quote here).

 

[pieterbotes]

They are battling to get the equipment for the customer site side.

All good and well, but why offer trials and be unable to setup the network? Surely Vodacom believes these steps to be achieved yet their process is stalled. How indeed can you begin trials without building the entire back infrastructure and supporting structures first? I can't imagine Vodacom spending all this capital on 80-odd base stations and then having no core network.

So as you see, the impression Vodacom gives is that all that has been completed and client installations should be going ahead. As such, what is the problem? Or have Vodacom been spewing forth Telkomesque lies about the actual progress of their WiMax rollout?

Did someone overstep their bounds? Bit off more than they can chew? (Add a few more Anne Robinson quote here).

 

[semiautomatix]

They are battling to get the equipment for the customer site side.

Sounds like a very half-hearted undertaking on Vodacom's side. Ensuring your equipment supply line is a fundamental business practice.