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Voice and LTE – What’s An Operator to Do?
LTE networks are being launched in some countries, while in others bid documents for spectrum in which LTE networks are to be deployed are being prepared, or soon will be. One of the controversial questions LTE operators have to address with significant implications for their technology, investments, choice of vendor, and business plans, is whether and how to offer voice services to their LTE customers. The same challenge applies to mobile WiMAX operators, but their role is expected to be minor compared to that of LTE in anything but the short term.
South Africa Goes Its Own Way at 2.6GHz
ICASA has now finally announced or confirmed its spectrum plans for the 2.6GHz band in which four licenses of 30MHz will be awarded. This structure puts South Africa firmly in the camp of “I’ll do it my way” with regard to likely deployments of wireless systems in this band, which otherwise has the potential of being the most widely adopted standardized band for broadband mobile communications services on a global level.
What lessons should South Africa draw from recent and ongoing foreign spectrum auctions?
South Africa and many other countries should pay attention to several new issues of spectrum management policy and action plans that are becoming evident in the growing wave of new spectrum allocations for mobile broadband services in Europe and elsewhere.
It is apparent for example that there can be significant differences of opinion, reflecting their traditional mandates and cultures, between telecommunications regulators, Competition Authorities and public policy makers about the nature and desirability of rules and conditions that should be applied in allowing and/or restricting access to new, and even currently allocated, spectrum assets by existing operators and potential entrants.
South Africa and the 2.6GHz Band Plan – Isolation or Harmonization
Martyn Roetter, July 24, 2009
South Africa has an opportunity through its allocation and attribution of spectrum in the valuable 2.6GHz band (2500-2690MHz) to become a broadband wireless pacesetter for its own economic and social benefit, as well as Africa’s.
Spectrum, Spectrum, Spectrum
A key question on everyone’s minds is how to improve broadband service and penetration, and accelerate our ICT development index in the process. Service providers are exploring a variety of wireless technologies. Mobile operators, with their aggressive investment plans and marketing muscle, have already demonstrated their ability to make a major difference. Convergence now means fixed line players are also investigating and deploying the same technologies – e.g. Telkom’s W-CDMA rollout. As the old adage goes the three most important priorities in this regard are (a) spectrum, (b) spectrum and (c) spectrum.
