North Africa beats SA on 3G

By Rodney Weidemann for ZTE
Johannesburg, 28 Sep 2004

While SA eagerly awaits the launch of third-generation (3G) services by Vodacom and MTN, North Africa has stolen a march on the SADC region by demonstrating its new Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) network in action.

According to UK Web site www.3G.co.uk, only three months after signing the contract, ZTE completed its major network construction and the installation of its initial equipment, allowing it to successfully demonstrate 3G calls.

In SA, Vodacom has claimed it will begin offering 3G services by the end of this year, although MTN believes the country will only see proper 3G services sometime next year. However, it seems 3G is already beginning to make its presence felt in North Africa.

"This is an important milestone for ZTE in 3G network construction, both in North Africa and around the world, as it shows ZTE can deliver quickly and efficiently," says Ye Weimin, senior VP and GM of ZTE`s mobile product division.

Weimin says the WCDMA network construction covers Tunisia`s two major cities, Sousse and Tunis, and it also marks ZTE`s first 3G network outside of China.

"The location of the network is made more important by the fact that Tunis is due to host the second phase of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Summit on Information Technology in 2005," he says.

"ZTE expects the system to provide multiple 3G services for the more than 20 000 attendees from over 190 countries that are expected at this important event, with the technology aimed at enabling visitors to enjoy the same quality of 3G services they can experience at home."

He is confident the remainder of the Tunisian network will soon be completed and the quality of the network will be demonstrated when the ITU World Summit comes to Tunisia next year.

"The successful launch of this WCDMA experimental network in Tunisia has laid a solid foundation for ZTE`s further expansion into the 3G markets in both North Africa and Europe."