MTN to build nationwide fibre optic broadband network

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Skip

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Did anyone see ad in the Sunday Times business times from MTN. They've put out an invitation to apply to tender for a nationwide fibre optic broadband network. Applications must be in on the 31st Jan 2006 and from those applicants selected parties will be invited to tender for the project.

Finally!
 
Cell operators are allowed to self-provide according to the Minister's determinations in February this year.
As far as I know, the cell operators were forced to use Telkom lines for major backhauls (in addition to their own microwaves links). According to the minister, they can now lay their own lines to link their towers and core network.

I've been wondering when the cell operators would wake up to the possibilities of running their own terrestrial networks...
The impact of this could be huge for broadband - remember MTN NS are a fully fledged Tier 1 ISP (eg. an equivalent to IS and UUNET), and as part of the MTN group I imagine they could start offering their own solutions on their wholly owned network.

And of course imagine how cheaply MTN could offer high speed local access on their own network combined with HSPDA enabled cell towers...
 
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Would be very interesting indeed!

The big question though is whether or not true competition would actually occur - given how SA telecoms players seem to prefer collusion to competition, it remains to be seen whether MTN or Cell C will actually have the guts to start a price war.

And of course Vodacom remains Telkom's pet cell company, so we can't expect much competition from that corner.
 
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Skip said:
Did anyone see ad in the Sunday Times business times from MTN. They've put out an invitation to apply to tender for a nationwide fibre optic broadband network. Applications must be in on the 31st Jan 2006 and from those applicants selected parties will be invited to tender for the project.

Finally!
Click to expand...
Now where did I put that BEE company of mine :rolleyes:

Maybe MTN has the vision of becoming the TNO. Who needs the last mile when WI-FI and WI-MAX are starting to become a sound option?
 
mmm. Cellphone operators competing with Telkom. Interesting.
Click to expand...

Plain fact: cellphone operators are already competing with telkom... when you compare prices for 3G, Edge and call costs with a decent contract - against the killing telkom is making; I for one am happy to make the switch... you guys should spend some time on the Vodacom, MTN lists on these myadsl forums... very interesting reading.

Also - our 3G services are competively priced with Europe... but only because Europe is so expensive - recouping their losses on the bidding war for the licenses in the first place.

If either MTN or Vodacom would reduce their 'pay as you go' network access rates this market would explode... and Vodacom International now buying in is major news.

... have read - this whole adsl fiasco - is actually redundant... wifi and wimax is set to rule the world. If anything Telkom is encouraging us to go cellular.

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Not really. In a 'natural' market, wired should always be ahead of wireless. It's faster, lower latency, more secure, physical contention is easier to manage, and once the cables laid, cheaper to maintain.

Technically ADSL2+ can run ar 24MBps, and the vDSLs go to 50Mbps and beyond. Wireless will only hit 10Mbps this year, and there's very little you can do about the latency.
 
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