We were one of the first countries to introduce a GSM cellular network. But we have fallen behind. There are 350 GSM networks in the world. The court gave the regulator until August 31 to respond. This is no longer acceptable.
Frequency spectrum is the lifeblood of our business.
To squeeze additional capacity out of the existing network, which uses the 900 MHz band, would triple Vodacom's marginal costs. Already Vodacom's network quality is suffering in congested areas. Bidders for the third cellular licence wanted this frequency for their exclusive use. Following the threat of court action, Satra held public hearings on the matter. Since then, however, the third-licence process has ground to a halt pending a judicial review.