tn mobile rolls out 4G LTE prepaid

tn mobile, the mobile division of Telecom Namibia, reports that it is the first operator in Namibia to offer 4G LTE prepaid broadband service to consumers.

This follows the launch of tn mobile’s superfast 4G LTE network and services by the minister of ICT Joel Kaapanda last week. With the tn mobile Prepaid 4G LTE, users can now enjoy faster data access on their laptops and PCs on tn mobile’s 4G LTE network, with theoretical download speeds of up to 100Mbps.

tn mobile Prepaid 4G LTE is available at N$298 and comes with a Dongle bundled with free 500 MB data. The out of bundle rate is 95 cents per MB.

The service is currently available in Windhoek, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, Henties Bay, Ondangwa, Oshakati, Ongwediva, Ohangwena and Oshikango.

Telecom Namibia reports that outside the 4G LTE coverage area, users will be served by tn mobile’s 3G HSPA+ network with theoretical download speeds of up to 21Mbps and upload of 5.76Mbps, which makes it the fastest 3G service in the country.

“Where the 3G/HSPA+ network is not available our 2G network will do the job. So we always have you covered,” explains Chris Keeping, Chief Mobile Officer at Telecom Namibia.

“We will continue to enhance and expand our 4G LTE network coverage to key towns around the country,” Keeping added.

"Leveraging on our new 4G LTE network, we are glad to offer the country's first 4G LTE prepaid broadband service. Our prepaid users are now able to enjoy ultra-fast 4G LTE data access and an enhanced mobile experience," says Oiva Angula, senior manager for corporate communications and public relations at Telecom Namibia.

source: www.biztech-africa.com

telkom to return legacy spectrum to ICASA

Telkom South Africa has confirmed that will return spectrum to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), as it migrates its legacy services to next generation technologies. Previously, in April this year the state-owned enterprise Sentech said it would return its 2600MHz and 3500MHz frequencies to the regulator as demand for spectrum escalates. BusinessTech.co.za quotes a Telkom representative as saying: ‘Telkom is continuously assessing the viability of legacy technologies which have reached their estimated useful life. In the case of wireless technologies, decisions in regard to the future use/or disposition of the frequency bands which they utilise is part of this process’.

The telco noted that it is currently licensed to use the 2400MHz band to provide fixed wireless access (FWA) services, chiefly in rural areas, and commented: ‘Whereas Telkom has identified these technologies for migration, such migration is complex due to, amongst others, lack of suitable sub-1GHz spectrum to be used in the rural areas. A portion of the 2400Mz band has been re-farmed for Telkom’s 2300MHz LTE network. Some parts of the 2400MHz band could eventually be returned to ICASA once migration has been completed’. Telkom added that migrating WiMAX from the 3500MHz band was a business decision, ‘and these services will be replaced with 3G/LTE or satellite’. Meanwhile, the telco stressed that it will not return spectrum in 1800MHz band.

source: www.telegeography.com

EUTRAN

The E-UTRAN consists of eNODEBs which provide E-UTRA user plane and control plane (RRC ) protocol termination toward the user equipment. The eNBs are interconnected with each other by means of the X2 interface. The eNBs are also connected by means of the s1 interface to the evolved packet core (EPC).

FUNCTIONS WITHIN THE ACCESS STRATUM:

This provides the ability , infrastructure and accessibility to the UE in acquiring the capabilities and services of the network. The radio access protocols in the E-UTRAN access stratum are comprised of numerous functionalities:

1.     RRM performs radio bearer control, admission and connection mobility control and dynamic allocation of resources to UE’s in both uplink and downlink.

2.     Traffic management in conjuction with RRM supports real and non real time user traffic between UE and architecture side.

LTE network can be divided into control plane which is responsible for managing the transport and user plane which is responsible for transporting user traffic.

USER PLANE PROTOCOLS: this shows the protocol stacks for the user plane where PDCP,RLC,MAC and PHY sublayers perform functions like header compression, ciphering, scheduling.