Speculation is rife again that Telkom Mobile and MTN have reached a network-sharing deal, with The Sunday Times reporting that according to industry insiders, a “joint venture” deal had been struck behind closed doors.<\/p>\n
Spokespersons for both companies did not confirm this when contacted, but Sunday Times points out they did not deny it.<\/p>\n
Telkom said they are still in discussions with various parties about Telkom Mobile and will announce something in due course.<\/p>\n
MTN said the company does not comment on market speculation, but as normal business practice, engages with companies such as Telkom on roaming agreements.<\/p>\n
Rumours regarding an MTN and Telkom Mobile deal have been doing the rounds<\/a><\/strong> since December 2013.<\/p>\n Industry speculation suggest that through such a deal MTN will get access to Telkom Mobile’s 2,300MHz LTE network, and may even invest in the growth of this network.<\/p>\n A closer relationship between MTN and Telkom regarding backhaul and transmission network capacity acquisition is another benefit to both parties.<\/p>\n Telkom has an extensive country-wide fibre network, with a strong mast infrastructure presence in rural areas. This can help MTN to develop a country wide LTE network in SA.<\/p>\n Such a deal will make it possible for Telkom Mobile to continue operating in the way it does now, but without the need to continue investing heavily in its network.<\/p>\n Source: Sunday Times (2 March 2014)<\/em><\/p>\n CIPC to keep tabs on Telkom over Schindeh\u00fctte<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nMore telecoms news<\/h3>\n