Win a Cell C HSPA+ modem with 60GB data

Three Gadget readers will win a new Cell C HSPA+ USB modem, bundled with 5GB data per month over 12 months. It is worth R2 999, and the three winners will be randomly drawn from among Gadget readers who fill in our Gadget reader survey. Read about what lies behind Cell C’s new high-speed mobile broadband network, and then follow the link to fill in our reader survey.

Two weeks ago, Lars P. Reichelt, CEO of Cell C, and Rajeev Suri, CEO of Nokia Siemens Networks, officially switched on Cell C’s high-speed mobile broadband network in Johannesburg and Pretoria. The much anticipated launch of Cell C’s HSPA+ 900/2100 network in the economic hub of the African continent brings world-class speed and world-class pricing, with customers paying as little as R0.03c per MB for data at average download speeds of between 4 ‚ 7 Mbps and average upload speeds of between 2 ‚ 3 Mbps.

‚Johannesburg and Pretoria are difficult to cover and we needed to make sure that our network was tried and tested and ready for our customers before we pushed the button,‚ commented Reichelt. ‚Since we started rolling out our new network across the country, we have been inundated with queries from Gauteng residents, wanting to know when we would be going live in this part of the country. I am happy to say that ‚speedcover’ is now attainable and the days of slow, unreliable and expensive internet are officially over.‚

Cell C’s new network will initially cover 62% of the population in the greater Johannesburg and Pretoria region, with 89% population coverage of the area planned by the end of January 2011.

In parallel to the launch in Jozi and Pretoria, Cell C also officially opened its new HSPA+ network nationwide for all existing Cell C customers. ‚Cell C customers that have UMTS 900 capable mobile phones or USB data sticks can now use Cell C’s superfast data connection and will experience much better voice call quality.‚ Details as to which handsets and devices support the new network can be found on Cell C’s website.

With the launch of its HSPA+ 900/2100 network Cell C also launched two unprecedented contract data offers, offering customers 2GB/month at R149 and 5GB/month at R289. In addition, Cell C now also offers data bundles across its entire range of prepaid, ControlChat and postpaid packages:

Postpaid data customers who require more data, can also purchase the 2GB data bundle priced at R400 per month, with an in-bundle/out-of-bundle rate of 20c per MB.

Sales of speedsticks, contract packages and the new data bundles started on 19 November 2010 and are available in 28 Cell C outlets in Johannesburg and Pretoria, as well as Game, Makro and Dion Wired, Autopage, Nashua Mobile and selected CNA stores. Products are also available at these outlets in other cities where Cell C has launched its new network.

‚Now that our network is live in Johannesburg and Pretoria, we are well on our way to reach our target of 34% population coverage in South Africa by the end of 2010,‚ added Reichelt. ‚We are fully committed to providing affordable and fast internet access to all South Africans, whether they live in a city or a rural environment. We are working around the clock to cover 97% of South Africa’s population with HSPA+ 900/2100 by the end of 2011.‚

Reichelt reiterated his view that South Africans should take advantage of what is arguably the most significant development in local Telecoms industry history. ‚This network infrastructure brings with it a myriad of development possibilities and represents the first real opportunity for a much larger subset of South Africans to harvest the potential of the internet, as a source of information, to grow a business, to offer a service, to further their careers or simply to communicate with friends and loved ones.‚

As part of its Johannesburg and Pretoria launches, Cell C also donated internet connectivity to two local schools. Immaculata Secondary School in Soweto and Mamelodi Secondary School in Mamelodi each received a modem, 60GB data bundle and wireless router to allow multiple users connectivity at the same time.

To be in line to win one of three of three new Cell C HSPA+ USB modems, bundled with 5GB data per month over 12 months and worth R2 999 per bundle, please complete the first Gadget reader survey. Click here to go to the questionnaire.