High speed LTE broadband hamstrung by DoC
South Africa is missing out on high speed LTE broadband access because of the Department of Communications’ delay in issuing policy directions related to high demand spectrum.
The GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association) recently announced that 347 telecoms operators in 104 countries are committed to commercial LTE network deployments or are engaged in trials, technology testing, or studies.
The GSA further highlighted that 96 operators have launched commercial LTE services in 46 countries. This figure includes 11 commercial LTE TDD systems which are launched in Australia, Brazil, India, Japan, Oman, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, and the UK.
The GSA forecast that there will be 152 commercial LTE networks operating in 65 countries by December 31, 2012.
Despite extensive LTE trials in the country, no South African mobile operator has launched commercial LTE services yet. The reason: local operators do not have access to the needed spectrum to launch commercial LTE services.
The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) is often blamed for the delay in issuing this valuable resource to operators, but in this case the DoC is to blame.
ICASA said that it has made numerous attempts to make available the internationally harmonised access bands (including 2.6GHz and 800MHz which are suitable for LTE), but that they are awaiting a Ministerial Policy Direction on how to proceed with licensing of this high demand spectrum.
It is therefore ironic that the communications department – which is actively punting the value of broadband and its plans to have 100% broadband penetration by 2020 in SA – is the party holding up the deployment of commercial LTE services in SA.
Commercial LTE networks
Good news is that MTN and 8ta are actively exploring ways to launch commercial LTE services without additional spectrum.
MTN is currently exploring the possibility of switching on commercial LTE network within 2012 and has identified 3 key urban cities to roll out the network.
8ta is also upgrading its network and getting it ready for a potential commercial LTE launch in 2013.
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