MTN launches 32K SIM, HSCSD

Johannesburg, 08 Nov 2000

MTN says high speed circuit switched data (HSCSD) services are now available on its network. Although HSCSD is admitted to be only a stepping stone towards higher speed general packet radio system (GPRS), MTN says it is an important one.

"HSCSD gives you a 300% increase in download speed," says Brendon Nell, GM of MTN technology partner Wireless Data Services. "You have speed faster than 28.8kbs."

Only the Nokia 6210 handset and the Nokia Card Phone 2.0 currently support the service, but new compatible handsets are expected soon.

MTN says HSCSD will be charged at the same tariff as voice calls even though it makes more intensive use of network capacity.

The service uses multiple channels to compound the rate of data transfer, and asynchronous transfers can be set up. Applications such as mobile e-mail, access to corporate databases and even the downloading of large files are expected to be popular uses.

Network capacity

Karel Pienaar, group executive of the operator`s network group, says the MTN network has the capacity to handle HSCSD, despite claims of network overload in its application for access to the 1800MHz spectrum range.

"We build our network for peak usage that happens one hour a month," he says. "The cost of using 900MHz [the current allocation] is a lot higher than 1800MHz, but we can handle the data right now."

In peak times data will be "bumped down", he says, and higher speeds will only be achieved when sufficient network capacity is available.

MTN also says its 32-bit SIM card is now freely available. The SIM uses an onboard mini-browser to enable mobile banking and wireless markup language (WML) browsing. Most handsets purchased from the beginning of the year are compatible with the card.

Precursors

With the SIM in place, wireless Internet gateway (WIG) services can be used, which effects data transfer through two-way short message service (SMS) transmissions. A WIG banking service was recently launched with ABSA.

These systems are precursors to GPRS, which Pienaar says should be available in the first quarter of 2001. Compatible handsets are the only hold-up.

"We will only really see the full deployment of the handsets early next year, and then the network will be there to support them. It is not worth it for us to enable the network before the handsets are in place."

Pricing for GPRS has not yet been determined, but MTN expects it to be based on usage.