Cell C will launch its new high-speed 3G network in Cape Town on Thursday, a city that has proved notoriously hard for operators to deliver wireless services.
At the same time, Cell C is launching its so-called “4Gs” network in the coastal city of East London today (Tuesday), following the company’s introduction of broadband services in Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein.
Cell C’s executive head of marketing Simon Camerer says the network covers 81% of East London already, and he expects the entire city to have coverage by the end of the year.
The operator, which is reinventing itself with fresh branding and a new vigour, says East London subscribers can expect speeds of between 4Mbit/s and 7Mbit/s. In some regions, customers will be able to get speeds of up to 10Mbit/s, Camerer says.
Details about this Thursday’s launch in Cape Town are a little sketchy at this stage. It’s not known, for example, which suburbs will enjoy coverage at launch.
Cell C CEO Lars Reichelt, pictured, has promised to cover more than a third of SA’s population by the end of 2010.
It’s of interest that Cell C has chosen to launch in Cape Town so early in its national roll-out schedule. It’s particularly intriguing given that wireless operators, including the mobile networks and Neotel, have all had trouble purchasing high-sites for base stations to provide wireless Internet access to Capetonians.
Cell C is shaking up the mobile market in SA, building the first 3G network at 900MHz — it’s cheaper and offers better in-building coverage — and slashing data costs to as little as R33/GB. — Staff reporter, TechCentral
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