The great mobile network shake-up

Wireless or non-wired technology has emerged as a popular conduit through which individuals and companies now communicate. The market has really grown beyond the expectations of even technology vendors themselves.

It makes sense if one considers the lack of wired infrastructure and its associated limitations. It seems like skeptics are quickly reminded by the market of the lower cost of going wireless as well as the convenience of mobility and increase in productivity.

Global trend in SA

Few would argue with the explosive nature of digital lifestyle technology, bolstered by the need for immediate connectivity, accessibility and functionality. The consumer demands these qualities within infrastructure and they do not want to pay too much for it. That is a global trend that has also taken root in South Africa.

This level of functionality is stretched to the hilt by mobile technologies including HSDPA, EDGE and GPRS. These technologies are typically found in more top-of-the-range mobile phones and other devices like PDAs, and are also connected to the laptop or notebook to extend uses and advantages. This is particularly evident within the small-to-medium sized business and/or those operating within the SoHo environment.

Then the market also has the advantage of the ‘n’ standard of mobile applications, offering up to 300Mbps transfer rates – creating a truly new dimension in mobile computing.

The issue is not whether this growth trend will continue or not, the question is how will service providers – already pressured into meeting current demands – manage the situation and the necessary bandwidth? All evidence suggests that service providers, including those operating within the cellular market, are struggling to cope with the lack of bandwidth. There is every need to protect the bandwidth they do have.

Promises they can’t keep

One regularly hears complaints and contradictions stemming from the market, specifically from suppliers of HSDPA, GPRS and cellular technology. Despite being unable to guarantee a minimum performance level, suppliers make promises they know they cannot keep.

Consumers act on these words of support and cancel landlines in favour of a seemingly mobile solution, only to find that it is not as capable as it was said to be. There is also a substantial degree of limitation on these deals imposed by resellers of the technology.

This scenario is exacerbated by the obvious lack of knowledge on the shop floor of technology suppliers and service providers. Often professional service, reputable knowledge and advice are sacrificed for want of a quick deal. For example, a client may already have a cellphone and would require GPRS, with the possibility of HSDPA. He or she is automatically given another contract. However, in actual fact, the existing contract could have been upgraded to include these technologies and the customer would have been spared much hassle and cost.

It is often due to the eagerness of staff to secure the business without any consideration of consequences. This can only do more harm than good as accountability, like the customer, disappears.

It is going to take a lot to ensure that the market is able to match requirements for continued growth. Support, services and related business opportunities have to be measured and applied, otherwise we really are moving in circles in so far as the adoption of mobility is concerned.