CDMA trials offer lifeline to rural areas

Qualcomm, Ericsson, MTN South Africa and Transtel are jointly conducting trials of CDMA2000 technology in the 800MHz band, with a view to rolling out high speed services nationwide, including people in more remote parts of the country. The plan is subject to regulatory approval from the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), but the companies involved believe that operating a CDMA system in the 800MHz band will offer a distinct advantage as a single base station can cover an area of up to 20km, whereas a W-CDMA equivalent can cover only 4km. Transtel’s chief technical officer Angus Hay believes the introduction of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO services could be a key factor in the success of the country’s second national operator when it gets off the ground – in which it holds a 15% stake.