How Government is messing up your cellular experience
Many people blame their mobile provider for dropped calls, poor reception, and slow Internet speeds, but unknown to them is that the government is partly responsible for many of these problems.
With an increase in mobile users and the growing demand for data, cellular operators are forced to increase their network capacity.
Increasing capacity happens in two ways: an increase in the available spectrum, or an increase in the number of cellular towers. The government creates a bottleneck in both avenues.
Over the last decade mobile operators have begged the government for more spectrum, but this has come to nothing.
The processes to hand out spectrum are tied up in bureaucracy and government incompetence, which is costing South African consumers and the country dearly.
With the lack of additional spectrum, mobile operators are forced to use the more costly option of rolling out additional towers. However, even here the government is keeping progress back.
Former Vodacom International COO Romeo Kumalo said that Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C have committed to invest billions in infrastructure.
“Where we are suffering is permits to build the new sites,” said Kumalo. “Vodacom has about 4,000 sites waiting for approvals from municipalities and local governments to be built.”
“Between Vodacom, MTN, and Cell C, you probably have around 10,000 sites that are ready to be rolled out, but are waiting for government approval.”
More about Vodacom
Vodacom ready to bring real competition to Telkom
Why South African operators need spectrum now
Why you can’t have 4G in South Africa
Crucial broadband spectrum in SA: wait some more
Loading ...