Qualcomm and Teleepoch
Enter Into a 3G CDMA Subscriber Unit License Agreement, October
6, 2007
MTN chooses Cambridge Broadband
Networks for multi-service wireless network in Rwanda, October 6,
2007
Brazilian government to
publish 3G bidding rules soon, October 6, 2007
KTF 3G service suffers
from technical problems, October 6, 2007
Argentina’s Personal
lunches 3G service in Rosario, October 6, 2007
Russia has it's first 3G
network, October 6, 2007
AT&T could drop Alcatel-Lucent
as 3G mobile network supplier, October 6, 2007
Enea Extends License Agreement
with ZTE for 3G Handsets, October 2, 2007
LG to unveil premium handsets
in Brazil, October 2, 2007
KTF 3G subscribers doubled
in less than 3 months, October 2, 2007
3G policy in India will
be non-uniform, October 2, 2007
- previous news
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Vodafone Reveals Antipodean 3G Plans
August 14, 2003 - source: BWCS
Vodafone’s subsidiaries in New Zealand and Australia have revealed contrasting
approaches to the rollout of 3G services. In New Zealand the company has
announced that it is investing hundreds of millions of dollars in deploying
W-CDMA services within the next 18 months. The first trial services are
expected to be up and running within six months and Vodafone New Zealand
has already garnered interest in the 3G offering among its business users.
Across the Tasman Sea, Vodafone’s Australian operation is taking a much
more conservative approach to 3G. The company has stated that it is not
looking to launch any 3G services before mid-2005. In addition Vodafone
is seeking partners to cooperate in a nationwide network rollout in an
effort to reduce costs.
The differing 3G stances of Vodafone’s two antipodean businesses is a
consequence of both their relative market positions and the huge difference
in the scale of the countries they operate in. Over the past twelve months
Vodafone New Zealand has successfully overhauled incumbent operator Telecom
New Zealand to become the number one mobile carrier with a 52% market
share. Vodafone Australia is the country’s third largest mobile network
with a steady market share of around 18%.
In terms of raw subscriber numbers Vodafone Australia controls 2.59 million
subscribers as compared to the 1.35 million signed up by its New Zealand
affiliate. Although this indicates that the former has more to gain from
the introduction of 3G services in terms of revenues, it is faced with
the cost of covering a market 30 times the size that of New Zealand –
hence the need for a joint network rollout.
This highlights one of the key challenges that Vodafone faces as it tries
to standardise its operations around the globe. In order to coordinate
the launch of 3G services on a global or even regional basis its timing
must be dictated to some extent by the market with the slowest pace of
deployment. In reality the company will be looking to launch W-CDMA across
all its markets within a 6-12 month window but given the complexities
and cost of 3G even that would seem a Herculean task right now.
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3G Motorola A920
