MTN boosts broadband coverage
A mast standing 56m tall is playing a vital role in bridging the digital divide, by bringing much-needed communication through connectivity to a remote community on the banks of the Orange River in the Northern Cape.
Riemvasmaak, situated 120km west of Upington, has joined the global village thanks to an off-grid base station erected by MTN South Africa.
Powered by solar PV arrays and a wind generator alone, and making use of sealed, maintenance-free gel batteries to store the energy, the MTN off-grid BTS (base transceiver station) site at Vredesvallei has a 35km radius coverage to serve the communities of Riemvasmaak and Vredesvallei Riemvasmaak.
And, despite the high temperatures experienced in this region, only two DC extraction fans are used to cool the equipment, saving on costs incurred using normal air-conditioners.
Says Karel Pienaar, MD of MTN SA: “It has always been a vision of MTN to serve and assist the communities in which it operates to become self-sufficient. The construction of our ‘green’ off-grid BTS sites in some of the most remote areas of South Africa is a natural extension of this vision, while at the same time supporting our objective to do more with less in a responsible and sustainable way.
“Climate change as an issue has moved from a largely environmental concern to an issue of commercial significance, and the potential impacts of climate change on economies, industry and companies are now far-ranging.
And, in line with its objective to bring 3G wireless broadband to rural areas in a sustainable way, MTN South Africa has built a 900Mhz network that, outside of extending its voice network, will see the delivery of data services to outlying areas.
This investment forms part of the R18bn MTN has spent on its network infrastructure over the past two years, to improve the quality of both voice and data services, and to extend its 3G coverage footprint.
In addition to the rollout of the new network, MTN aims to re-farm a portion of its new 900MHz network spectrum, predominantly used for 2G or voice, for 3G usage to extend its wireless broadband coverage into rural South Africa.
In the urban areas where it already has an extensive 3G network, the upgraded infrastructure will be reserved exclusively for improved voice services.
“It has been a long-term vision for us at MTN to develop a data network that extends into the rural communities of South Africa,” says Karel Pienaar, managing director of MTN South Africa.
“We all know how pervasive mobile telephony has become, but the benefits of expanding the broadband or data benefits of mobility to rural areas are insurmountable, opening up new avenues and opportunities through which we can start to make an impact on bridging the digital divide.”
The project, which has been operational since May this year, is currently being rolled-out in a pilot phase at a number of sites in Limpopo Province, covering Tzaneen and its surrounding areas. The Riemvasmaak BTS site in the Northern Cape is the 21st site to be included in the pilot.
Based on the success of the pilot project, the company is exploring a wider strategy to roll-out the same infrastructure to a number of other targeted areas that currently have no 3G connection, in the near future.
As per the project, the telecommunications giant has also performed a UMTS infrastructure upgrade to the existing MTN network that will yield significant benefits to customers looking to take advantage of wireless broadband in rural areas.
“As the industry leader in innovation, we believe the development of pioneering network solutions and new technologies will further enhance our promise to bring the full 3G experience to previously ‘3G-disadvantaged’ communities,” states Pienaar.
“It is with this in mind that we have made a significant investment in our network infrastructure to improve and extend our broadband offerings into these areas.”
MTN’s data services currently cover close to 50% of South Africa’s geographical area. With the phased roll-out of the new network, the company is looking initially at towns and communities close to or within the region of outlying cities to enhance its current 3G footprint. The second phase will extend to more remote areas.
“Wireless broadband is the most effective mechanism to bring data services to rural South Africa: it makes both economic and business sense. We believe much of our future data market will come from these previously under-serviced areas that are desperate for the full end-to-end connectivity services that MTN can provide.”
“The benefits of the new technology will enable us to fulfill this vision. The higher frequency 2.1GHz technology we are currently using doesn’t give us the reception footprint we need to reach into the far recesses of rural areas. However, the 900MHz network does exactly this and negates the need for the costly building of new towers in these regions. This strategy reinforces our vision to be a sustainable organisation, as fewer towers means a greener technology footprint,” adds Pienaar.
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