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More 'whoosh' for Windy City

Kathryn McConnachie
By Kathryn McConnachie, Digital Media Editor at ITWeb.
Johannesburg, 20 Apr 2011

Cell C has launched its upgraded 42Mbps network in Port Elizabeth, fulfilling a promise made eight months ago, after switching on its HSPA+900 network in the city.

Cell C CEO Lars Reichelt said at the event: "Eight months ago, we made a two-fold promise. Firstly, that we will bring 'whoosh' to the country and [that] we'll make 'whoosh' affordable. And I believe that is what we have done.

"We also made a promise that when we launched 42 [Mbps] that we would do it in PE. We are keeping our promise."

Reichelt added that the network upgrade to 42Mbps is the latest in the technology evolution of the network and allows for faster upload and download speeds, "but more importantly allows for greater capacity at the upgraded sites".

The Cell C network is based on Software Defined Technology, which enabled the company to simply do capacity upgrades without requiring any hardware swaps to a new system.

Is it necessary?

Responding to whether the 42Mbps upgrade is actually needed, Reichelt said: "Well, right now, on our network, we don't need it - we have sufficient capacity. In reality, we wouldn't really need it today, but then again we are looking forward and we can see a couple of things happening and there are a couple of very relevant drivers."

Reichelt outlined the impact of Apple and the iPhone, Google, YouTube, Android and Facebook on creating a rapid increase in data usage. According to Cisco calculations, an iPhone generates 24 times more data traffic than the average mobile phone; a tablet generates 122 times the traffic, while a laptop generates 515 times the traffic of an ordinary handset.

Reichelt added that Cell C has been very happy with the results following the launch of “whoosh”.

"We are well into the six-figures in terms of customers. Mobile data is literally going to explode; 42Mbps paves the way for the data explosion."

New modems that can support download speeds of up to 42Mbps will be available in stores in the coming weeks. Cell C says existing 7.2Mbps and 21.6Mbps will also benefit due to the increased capacity on the network as a result of the upgrade.

Meeting targets

"We will roll out 42Mbps across the country on a need basis - so we'll do so when it makes sense, in a phased approach, while the country continues to expand its 21.6Mbps HSPA+ rollout in the rest of the country."

Reichelt said Cell C currently has about 40% population coverage, and that it is on track to meet its 67% population coverage target by mid-2011.

Following the controversy in the media surrounding Cell C and Vodacom's rivalry, Reichelt said he felt certain things that have been said in the last few days needed to be "put right".

Elusive 43.2Mbps

"Prior to this event, there was a big debate between me and my marketing team now that somebody else decided to call it 43.2Mbps.

"Perhaps we should call it 42, with a maximum, supreme speed of 43.2 if you are about one centimetre from the base station, and it's good weather and the neighbours don't have their television on," quipped Reichelt.

"Someone said that we were maliciously advertising and that we had six adverse rulings against us from the ASA [Advertising Standards Authority]. Let's be very clear, Vodacom has had eight adverse rulings in the last 12 months."

Reichelt also responded to comments regarding "that thing that Cell C calls 4G". He argued that the second biggest operator in the US, AT&T, stops 3G after HSPA, and says HSPA+ and LTE are 4G. "Verizon has done the same, and Verizon is 48% owned by Vodafone," he said.

"I don't take kindly to being called a liar, and that is not the case."

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