Vodacom testing 900 MHz 3G broadband services
Towards the end of 2009 Cell C announced that it will be joining the mobile broadband market with a R5 billion investment in a 21 Mbps HSPA+ network.
What was also significant about Cell C’s announcement is that the operator will be using 900 MHz for its broadband service which will give it far better coverage compared to an 1800 MHz or 2.1 GHz deployment.
Cell C CEO Lars Reichelt said in December 2009 that they have already started migrating voice traffic to their higher frequency bands to accommodate their HSPA services on the 900 MHz band.
Cell C is however not the only operator which realizes the potential of using lower frequencies for data services. Vodacom is currently actively evaluating UMTS 900 which it calls “an attractive technology that would allow us to increase 3G coverage”.
“The key challenge to actually deploying the technology is the availability of spectrum,” said Vodacom spokesperson Richard Boorman. Using 900 MHz spectrum for mobile broadband services means that voice calls will have to be migrated to higher frequencies which in turn can cause coverage concerns.
Vodacom also have the challenge of trialing – and potentially implementing – a different network design on a live network. The value of a 900 MHz 3G deployment can however not be ignored.
Vodacom currently has approximately three-quarters of a million handsets on their network that are UMTS 900 compatible, and increased coverage will definitely be of value to smartphone users.
First prize for all the cellular operators will however be access to lower frequency spectrum that will be freed up in the switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial TV, also known as the Digital Dividend.
Vodacom 900 MHz 3G testing << The right way to go? Give your view.
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