Cell C has successfully completed its network migration ahead of schedule and is now operating with access to circa 14 000 towers countrywide, with more than 12 000 sites 4G/LTE enabled.
Cell C’s customers will now benefit from the expanded national coverage. Having access to a faster, higher quality connection, fewer dropped calls and a overall stable network during loadshedding. The partner network is also investing in back-up power.
“This is a huge milestone for Cell C and valued customers.” Say Cell C’s Chief Technology Officer, Schalk Visser. adding, “We have effectively nearly increased our network access by three-fold in less than 3 years, from 5 500 towers to 14 000 towers.”
Advances in technology have allowed the mobile network operator to use a new approach in tackling network issues.
As a a part of their strategy, Cell C deactivated its own physical tower and radio access network (RAN) and seamlessly migrated prepaid and Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) customers to a virtualised RAN. Furthermore, Cell C uses its own spectrum and is still fully in control of the customer experience.
This innovation has changed the telecommunications landscape, with the market now made up of those that own infrastructure and those that buy Infrastructure as a Service.
Visser explains, “We now have access to best-in-class infrastructure, can benefit from scale and have simultaneously reduced our network expenses and capital expenditure on costly infrastructure.”
Cell C would have had to invest billions yearly to roll out a physical radio access network in the traditional mobile network operator model.
“We can now focus our investment and energies into innovating products and services that will add value to customers, knowing that we can operate from a competitive platform that offers the same quality connectivity to all South Africans,” adds Visser.