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8
Sept 2010 |
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The dispute between fixed-line giant Telkom and mobile operator MTN is rooted in Telkom's move into the mobile market, and its call for a higher termination rate on its new mobile network. Telkom Mobile, expected to be operational before the end of the year, is calling for an interconnect rate of 93c per minute, while MTN insists on maintaining its 89c standard. MTN is disputing the matter, arguing that Telkom's proposal would mean that Telkom would charge MTN 93c per minute to terminate on its network,... |
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8
Sept 2010 |
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Internet service provider MWeb is expanding its capacity by adding extra last-mile access on Telkom's network. MWeb CEO Rudi Jansen says since the launch of uncapped broadband earlier this year, customers are flooding to the service. "The uptake on our uncapped product has been incredible," he says. However, he says MWeb's predictions regarding the capacity it would need to keep up with demand were wrong. Shortly before the soccer World Cup, the company had to move a portion of its customers temporarily... |
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7
Sept 2010 |
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Neotel says it will be focus on becoming SA's first converged communications provider and is planning to roll out fibre-to-the-home (FTTH). This is according to Neotel chief technology officer Angus Hay, who spoke at last week's 11th annual ST Group User conference. The conference, hosted in Midrand, revealed trends around telecommunications, the Internet and location intelligence. Hay pointed out that FTTH in SA will be driven by high-speed Internet, delivered by international undersea cables Seacom and ... |
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7
Sept 2010 |
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Telecommunications groups Telkom and MTN Group are set to appear before the complaints and compliance committee of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) on Wednesday, to settle a dispute over interconnection rates paid for carrying calls on each other's behalf. The industry regulator said it had received notification of the dispute in writing and had three choices: it could impose conditional terms for interconnection rates, propose rates to be negotiated, or refer the dispute to... |
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6
Sept 2010 |
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MWeb ISP [Internet service provider] is not offering its clients an upgrade to Telkom's 10Mbps offering, as it has reservations about Telkom's core network and the copper quality over the last 50 miles, says MWeb ISP CEO Derek Hershaw. On 13 August, Telkom announced it would increase the speed of its fastest DSL offering to 10Mbps. However, the rider is that this will only be offered in areas that have the suitable technology at their exchanges to support the upgrade. "Our customers most definitely want... |
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6
Sept 2010 |
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Public investment in the telecommunications industry is a priority for the Department of Science and Technology (DST), as the network industry promises to provide the backbone of all the country's economic, industrial and innovative advances. This is according to science and technology minister, Naledi Pandor, speaking today at the Southern Africa Telecommunication Networks and Applications Conference, being hosted at the Spier Wine Estate, in the Western Cape. However, Pandor argued that partnerships... |
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6
Sept 2010 |
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South Africa's third mobile operator, Cell C is blazing a trail in local broadband connectivity after the launch of Africa's first HSPA+ 900 network in Port Elizabeth on Friday. The company officially switched on the high-speed network offering data speeds capable of up to 21.6 Mbps, dubbed 4GS - 4 Great Speed and 4 Great Service as part of its nationwide network rollout. Speaking at a launch event in The Windy City on Friday, Cell C CEO, Lars P. Reichelt said the first phase of rollout, expected to be... |
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6
Sept 2010 |
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Cell C, long the poor relation of the South African cellphone industry, has taken a giant leap forward with the launch of its so-called 4G network, beating its bigger rivals to the punch. For the first time, it can claim to be a technological leader. However, competitors have complained (to the Advertising Standards Authority and anyone else who would listen) that it's misleading to call Cell C's new technology "4G". And Cell C executives themselves seem to use the term sparingly. Their new technology... |
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3
Sept 2010 |
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South Africa's third cellular network operator Cell C launched its next generation network under the "4Gs" brand in Port Elizabeth on Friday. The new HSPA+ network is scheduled for a phased rollout in 10 cities across the country. Data pricing on the network is likely to spark a local price war in mobile broadband, with Cell C making data available at 5c per MB in bundle with an out-of-bundle rate of 39c. Two packages are available on the new network, both sold at a flat fee that includes a modem and 12... |
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3
Sept 2010 |
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Telkom's need of a further eight months to appoint a CEO is ridiculous and likely to create chaos in the organisation, says the Communication Workers Union (CWU). Thabo Mogalane, the CWU's deputy general secretary, says the organisation has had plenty of time to recruit a new CEO and is very disturbed the board needs even more time to replace ex-CEO Reuben September. Last month, Telkom announced September's immediate and abrupt departure from the organisation in order to make way for acting CEO Jeffrey... |
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3
Sept 2010 |
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Cell C will begin upgrading its new wireless broadband network to 42Mbit/s within the next six to eight months, CEO Lars Reichelt says. On Friday, Cell C switched on the first leg of its third-generation (3G) cellular network in Port Elizabeth, offering peak speeds of up to 21Mbit/s. It is expected to expand the network to two more cities in September - probably Bloemfontein and Durban. The operator's new network, which it is building in the 900MHz frequency band, can be upgraded through software. The... |
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3
Sept 2010 |
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Cell C, which launched its third-generation (3G) mobile network in the Eastern Cape city of Port Elizabeth on Friday, is playing up its launch offering of two broadband modems with 24GB and 60GB data bundles. But the company has also quietly introduced two new data-only products at prices that are significantly lower than the offerings that are bundled with modems and much cheaper than anything offered by rivals MTN and Vodacom. The two products that Cell C is playing up cost R1 499 and R2 999 for 2GB/month... |
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2
Sept 2010 |
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Arguments that Neotel is under obligation to focus on the consumer segment have been quashed. Instead, licences under which the company operates make no provision for pre-defined consumer reach targets. "Neotel's converted I-ECNS (individual electronic communications network service) and I-ECS (individual electronic communications service) licences do not have split in terms of enterprise, wholesale and retail. "The licensee is entitled to construct, maintain and operate an electronic communications network... |
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2
Sept 2010 |
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The East Africa Submarine System (Eassy) cable has not made the sort of splash on the SA broadband market as many had expected it to. The 10 000km-long submarine fibre cable, which runs along Africa's east coast, is the second new cable to arrive on SA shores in the past year. The first was Seacom, which went live in 2009. SA also has the Sat-3 and Safe system, which is part-managed by Telkom. Eassy, which became available commercially in July, runs along a similar but shorter route to Seacom's cable and... |
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1
Sept 2010 |
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Telecommunications operator Cell C will launch the first leg of its mobile broadband network in Port Elizabeth. TechCentral has established that Cell C will launch its third-generation (3G) network, on which it is spending about R5bn in 2010, in the Eastern Cape city. Media have been invited to attend a launch function this Friday, which will take place in Port Elizabeth. It's the first commercial 3G network in SA to use the 900MHz radio frequency band, a differentiator Cell C hopes will give it a leg-up... |
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