COSTA MESA, Calif., June 24, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The CDMA Development Group (CDG) today congratulated Neotel on becoming the first service provider in South Africa to deploy a CDMA2000(r) 3G network. As part of its NeoConnect service, Neotel delivers high-speed Internet, e-mail, SMS and voice services over a single, all-in-one, wireless desktop phone. This wireless convergence solution demonstrates CDMA's exceptional value proposition for operators in emerging markets who want to quickly and affordably deploy 'last mile' connectivity to consumers and offer a large selection of revenue-generating services across a single platform.
"The CDG commends Neotel for its market leadership," said Perry LaForge, executive director of the CDG. "CDMA2000 enables Neotel to deliver broadband Internet access services affordably and conveniently to wherever customers desire to use them. The availability of advanced CDMA2000 services will have a significant positive effect on telecommunications in South Africa and will set an example for other African nations to follow."
The NeoConnect service is provided using Neotel's state-of-the-art CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A (Rev. A) network. As the leading mobile broadband technology in the world, Rev. A offers peak data rates of 3.1 Mbps in the forward link and 1.8 Mbps in the reverse link. Rev. A is more cost-effective for provisioning new Internet access services than other wireless broadband solutions and new wireline deployments -- especially in markets where landline Internet penetration is low. As a result, CDMA2000 is increasingly becoming the broadband technology of choice in Africa and other developing markets.
"Offering subscribers simplicity, value and performance is vital to Neotel's ability to remain competitive in this market," said Mukul Sharma, Executive Head of Consumer Services at Neotel. "CDMA2000's core strengths have allowed us to distinguish ourselves in the marketplace and turn South Africa into one of the most advanced telephony environments in the world. We have promised to change the way South Africa communicates and shift the paradigms in the industry. By deploying CDMA2000 we have taken the first significant step with our consumer services launch to do just as we have promised."
More information on CDMA is available at www.cdg.org.
About CDMA2000
CDMA2000 is the most widely deployed 3G technology, with 258 operators in 98 countries serving more than 438 million subscribers. Counting 2G cdmaOne(tm) subscribers, there are more than 451 million CDMA users worldwide. CDMA2000 has become the technology of choice for developed and emerging market operators, and is deployable in the 450, 700, 800, 1700, 1900, AWS and 2100 MHz bands. More than 1,980 CDMA2000 devices from over 110 suppliers have been introduced to the market, including more than 519 Rel. 0 and 62 Rev. A devices on 100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rel. 0 and 41 Rev. A systems. More information on CDMA2000 is available on the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
About CDG
The CDMA Development Group is a trade association formed to foster the worldwide development, implementation and use of CDMA2000 technologies. The more than 130 member companies of the CDG include many of the world's largest wireless carriers and equipment manufacturers. The primary activities of the CDG include development of CDMA2000 features and services, public relations, education and seminars, regulatory affairs and international support. Currently, there are more than 500 individuals working within various CDG subcommittees on CDMA2000-related matters. For more information about the CDG, contact the CDG News Bureau at +1-714-540-1030, or visit the CDG Web site at www.cdg.org.
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About Neotel
Neotel is South Africa's first converged communications network operator. It provides a range of value-added voice and data services for businesses, wholesale network operators and providers and consumers using its pure-IP Next Generation Network, powered by Neotel's high-performance fibre optic backbone. Neotel connects the major centres in South Africa to each other and to the world, directly linking the country into Tata Communications global Tier 1 network. Neotel offers fresh thinking, a creative approach and flexible solutions for communications in South Africa.
Note to editors
cdmaOne is a registered trademark of the CDMA Development Group. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA-USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.