Africa's CDMA growth scrutinised

By Damaria Senne, ITWeb senior journalist

Johannesburg, 23 Apr 2007

African telecoms operators that have deployed CDMA technology, or are planning to do so, will meet next month in Johannesburg to discuss the challenges and strategies for growth of 3G in sub-Saharan Africa.

The African CDMA Forum, a collective of almost 70 African telecoms operators, which have deployed, or are planning to deploy CDMA networks, says it will host a conference on 3G CDMA in sub-Saharan Africa on 7 and 8 May, in Sandton.

The conference is organised in partnership with Qualcomm, a global company that developed CDMA technology.

African CDMA Forum chairman William Hearmon says speakers will outline the latest developments in technology and communication infrastructure.

They will also look at opportunities provided to forum members by the collective, opportunities in emerging market applications, as well as presenting operator case studies where revenue opportunities were increased even while consumers were dramatically lowered, he says.

Hearmon argues CDMA2000 is an appropriate technology to address Africa's development challenges, as it provides wide coverage for voice and high-speed Internet at low prices. "It is a third cheaper, has a wider range and requires fewer base stations than GSM."

The low deployment costs allow operators to drastically cut costs, making telecoms services available to consumers, he notes.