Y`ello, it`s time for 3G

Johannesburg, 29 Jun 2005

MTN has launched its commercial 3G offering, six months after rival Vodacom entered the market with the same high-speed wireless broadband technology.

The mobile operator claims it will offer several consumer-friendly packages, allowing customers to upgrade handsets and select a variety of bolt-on data bundles.

It is also focusing on the business market, with its CorporateMobility offering, which is tailored to meet the needs of the corporate and small and medium enterprise segments.

Last year the organisation signed a strategic deal with Ericsson, and it plans to leverage on Ericsson`s presence in 3G networks to provide its customers with content, applications and services from the global arena.

"MTN is committed to providing its customers with a seamless broadband experience, so we will be investing further in our network as well as developing tailor-made wireless broadband solutions for customers in both rural and urban areas," says Phumlani Moholi, MTN`s CTO.

"Subscribers to our 3G service will have exclusive access to free downloads - including movie trailers, fashion news, sports and entertainment - and they will also have access to ringtones, pictures and video downloads on an 'eat as much as you want basis`."

Moholi says the 3G offering is available to both postpaid and prepaid clients, providing they have a 3G-compliant handset. Handsets that support the technology include the Motorola V975, Samsung Z130, Sony Ericsson Z800i and Nokia 6680.

"We currently offer subscribers speeds of up to 384Kbps, with 1MB of data costing R2, although by loading any one of the bolt-on data bundles, costs can be brought as low as 49c per megabyte," says Moholi.

"Video calls will be charged at R2 per minute for postpaid and R3 per minute for prepaid subscribers, while they can also use their phones to enhance Web browsing and to receive e-mails with large attachments."

MTN says it presently has 3G coverage in Johannesburg, Midrand, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth, although it also offers its Enhanced Data for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology, which is capable of speeds of up to 236Kbps, in the various provincial capitals and smaller towns and rural areas.

"We provide a seamless transition for users from 3G to EDGE to GPRS, thus ensuring the drop in speed is not as marked as it would feel on a network that does not offer EDGE as a complementary technology," says Moholi, in a dig at rival operator Vodacom, which launched its 3G service without the backup of EDGE.