![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/MNO-versus-MVNO.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nCell C is in the process of moving entirely onto MTN\u2019s network, which will result in the company switching off its radio access network.<\/p>\n
This infrastructure sharing strategy will help Cell C to cut down on network investments and still get the benefit from an excellent service through MTN.<\/p>\n
This will be the first time that a South African mobile operator shuts down its radio network, which raises questions as to what will happen with its equipment and spectrum.<\/p>\n
Cell C CEO Douglas Craigie Stevenson told MyBroadband some of their radio network equipment will be sold, which will generate money for the company.<\/p>\n
There are also components of its radio network which are leased, which will be given back to the companies it leases it from.<\/p>\n
He added that MTN will not use any of Cell C\u2019s current radio equipment to offer services to Cell C.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Cell C deconstructs its network over the transition period, traffic will be moved from our physical radio network to the virtual radio network provisioned for us by MTN,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
One of the big questions is what will happen to Cell C\u2019s spectrum, especially after Telkom lodged a complaint about Vodacom and Rain\u2019s network arrangement.<\/p>\n
Craigie Stevenson said their spectrum will be used \u201cby Cell C on the new virtual network that MTN is providing\u201d.<\/p>\n
He made it clear that they are still in full control of their spectrum and are using it to support their customer base.<\/p>\n
With Cell C switching off its full radio network and moving to \u201ca virtual network provided by MTN\u201d, many people view it as a super MVNO (mobile virtual network operator).<\/p>\n
Craigie Stevenson dismissed this view, saying apart from not having a radio access network, they remain a fully-fledged mobile operator.<\/p>\n
He said Cell C will still maintain a core network and can still choose to increase or decrease its coverage footprint.<\/p>\n
It also has control over network quality, it remains a spectrum license holder, and controls its network investment.<\/p>\n
Cell C will keep its voice interconnect agreements with other operators and hold on to its number range.<\/p>\n
The image below provides an overview of the difference between Cell C and an MVNO.<\/p>\n
Cell C will switch off its radio network as part of its turnaround plan, which raises the question of what will happen to its spectrum.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":262665,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_facebook_post_id":"","_sma_instagram_post_id":"","_sma_threads_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[355,46291,35,42],"class_list":["post-372400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cellular","tag-cell-c","tag-douglas-craigie-stevenson","tag-headline","tag-mtn"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372400"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=372400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":372666,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/372400\/revisions\/372666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/262665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=372400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=372400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=372400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a><\/p>\nNow read: Cell C CEO explains how Vodacom and MTN waste money<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"