Cell C is to deploy what will be SA's fastest cellular network to date.
The third mobile operator has appointed Chinese telecommunications equipment provider ZTE to roll-out HSPA+. The deal is worth about R2.9 billion and forms part of Cell C's R5 billion plan to establish a 4G network across SA this year.
CEO Lars Reichelt claims Cell C is now leading the industry and will be the first mobile operator in SA to deploy HSPA+ technologies.
The new network will have technologies that incorporate download speeds of up to 21Mbps, which is three times faster than anything currently available.
Reichelt says this is the operator's first big step towards transforming Cell C into a “possibilities provider”.
More to come
“The process to appoint ZTE was an extensive one, and we are glad to say we are on track to deliver a 4G network that will offer the kind of connectivity that South Africans have been craving,” says Reichelt.
Cell C will soon appoint a second vendor to carry out the remaining part of the nationwide roll-out, and will announce other plans by the end of March.
Faster, but...
While the network is the most technologically advanced to be deployed in SA, it isn't 4G, says World Wide Worx Strategy MD Steven Ambrose. He notes the network is “the latest version of 3G”.
Ambrose explains that mobile 4G, in the form of LTE, is only now starting to be deployed internationally. “HSPA+ is an evolution of the 3G standard.”
Despite that, Ambrose calls the move a “way overdue step” for Cell C, as the company was limiting itself to the lower end of the market. With the ability to offer high-speed data, it can now tap into the top end of the market and improve average revenue per user, he says.
“In many ways, this will revitalise what they are doing... it's critical to their ongoing success in SA.”
As Virgin Mobile SA uses Cell C's network, Virgin will also feel the benefits, he notes.
Cell C is leapfrogging both MTN and Vodacom with the new standard, but Ambrose expects both operators to catch up soon.
One problem is that there are not many devices in the market that can take this standard. However, Ambrose says these devices are coming and, in the meantime, current 3G-enabled phones will work.
Related story:
Cell C awards R2.9bn deal
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