Cell C CEO Lars Reichelt

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 upgrade to 42Mbit/s will take place first in Port Elizabeth because it has relatively few customers using older GSM technology on 900MHz in the city. Reichelt says it’s therefore relatively trivial to “refarm” the spectrum for additional 3G services, allowing it to upgrade to 42Mbit/s.

“Port Elizabeth will be our test bed for some time to come,” Reichelt says.

Cell C is the first SA operator to launch a 3G network at 900MHz. Reichelt believes this will give it a big advantage over rivals MTN and Vodacom.

Both MTN and Vodacom have begun testing 3G at 900MHz but because they have so many GSM customers in the band already it’s much more difficult for them to refarm their spectrum.  — Duncan McLeod, TechCentral

• Subscribe to our free daily newsletter
• Follow us on Twitter or on Facebook