Re: Time to set the record straight - Cellcom 4G is the fastest Mobile internet network in Liberia!
Kpetermeni Siakor
Season greetings!
Let’s start by your so called “solution”. Google is not in the business of selling bandwidth but rather in the business of providing content. The company has therefore a vested interest at campaigning for cheaper Internet prices across the African continent. Further Google’s business model is based on free search services paid by advertising. Mobile operators’ business model is based generating revenue from the various services they render to their subscribers.
Pricing: On the top of my head, I can’t really recall any mobile operators in African or in developed countries that have launched 3G and 4G services with an offering based on speed of connection. And I totally agree with you when you write “that it defeats the essence of having high speed mobile connection”. However I remember well when mobile operators in Europe and in the US launched unlimited data pack and later on had to make a U turn by introducing a fair data usage policy as they realised that a small number of their subscribers were abusing (and congesting) their networks and making the experience of high speed mobile Internet less enjoyable for their remaining and more reasonable subscribers. In my view, Internet prices should reflect the CAPEX and OPEX costs incurred by mobile operators that are willing to invest in the latest mobile technology. Cutting edge technology doesn’t come cheap.
Technology: You are confusing GSM mobile data technology with other wireless technologies not supported by phones (e.g. WiMAX). The evolution path of GSM mobile data technology is as follows: GPRS, EDGE, 3G (UMTS), HSPA, HSPA+, HSPA+ Dual Carrier, LTE and LTE Advanced. Try to compare Cellcom’s 4G to Lonestar's 3.9G is like comparing apple to orange.
While Cellcom’s mobile network uses HSPA+ and soon HSPA+ Dual carrier (with potential download speed up 42Mbps), Lonestar’s mobile network still uses GPRS/Edge. You can test the latest smartphones (including a BlackBerry) on Lonestar’s network and you will still only get the letter “E” in the notification bar.
When Lonestar refers to its 3.9G mobile Internet service, it uses WiMAX technology which is not among the GSM data technologies detailed above. WiMAX offers a very good data speed but it doesn’t work with mobile phones (there is no mobile phone in the world that supports WiMAX). WiMAX is a fixed or semi-mobile technology that works with USB modems or routers. In Liberia, Lonestar has implemented speed cap starting at 64kbp up to 1Mbps where you pay over US$500 per month, where Cellcom is offering different bundles of uncapped speed with data allowance and/or unlimited data allowance with capped speed once you’ve reached 6GB or more for only US$149 per month.
When it comes to speed, when you trying to compare there is no comparison between Cellcom HSPA+ technology and GPRS/EDGE Plus as well as when you compare speed performance of HSPA+ modem/router to WiMAX modem/router.
When you compare gear cost, GSM based devices are by far much more affordable, Plug&Play compare to WiMAX gear, simply because of WiMAX being a niche technology that failed to build economy of scale.
If I didn’t mentioned it before, it’s time to set the record straight that Cellcom 4G network is the fastest internet mobile network in Liberia and BTW offering a better speed performance than other countries in the region such as; Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and on…
I wish you all Happy TWENTY13!
From: waigf-libe...@afrinic.net [mailto:waigf-libe...@afrinic.net] On Behalf Of Kpetermeni Siakor
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2013 12:38 PM
To: Kemuel Enders
Cc: waigf-...@waigf.org; monrovia-gtug
Subject: Re: [WAIGF-liberia] The "G" Confusion (4G vs 3.9G – Part 1)
Yep Kemmy, installing a 3G/4G modem in Ubuntu is not easy not even for the advanced user. I've got it to work, through a series of trial and error. I'll have to retrace my steps and send you the easiest method.
I'm in Liberia briefly and I have been testing out Cellcom's "4G" and LoneStar's "3.9G" claims. (Yes, apologies for not informing you all earlier).
Cellcom: Without doubt, it's pretty fast, at least since New Year's Day. I have been able to stream Youtube videos without any breaks to buffer. I have been using the residential package ($125/month). On my Android phone, I was again able to stream videos smoothly and yes, I saw the magical "H+" in my notifications bar (will explain later)! I measured speeds of about 2 Mbps even during the day, which was quite impressive since I tested this in rural Montserrado using the Speed Test app.
LoneStar Cell: Without doubt, it's very slow, at least since late December. I could barely use my Gmail app much less attempt steaming a video. To date, I have only seen the regular "E" in my phone's notification bar (will explain later). I have also tried out the USB dongles with similar speeds as my phone (~0.3 Mbps). This is woefully below the speeds of even 3.0G much less 3.9G. I am yet to test the BlackBerry Internet service. Even when I was in LoneStar Cell's head office in Congo Town, I could only get EDGE.
Explanation: One quick way to test if you're getting EDGE, 3G, or ~4G using an Android phone is to look at the letter in the notifications bar. If you see an "E", that's EDGE (old technology), if you see an "H", that's 3G (newer technology), if you see an "H+" that's near 4G (newest technology). I use the term "near 4G" in the technical sense for Evolved High Speed Packet Access (HSPA+) to distinguish it from Long Term Evolution (LTE) which is considered "true 4G".
Pricing: On the side of cost, however, that's another story. It appears to me that both Cellcom and Lone Star Cell's price structure remains the same. For LoneStar Cell, since much hasn't changes as far as I'm concerned, consumers may feel they are more consistent. But how long will LoneStar Cell continue to give EDGE level speeds? For Cellcom, the introduction of near 4G has created two problems--one real and one perceived. The perceived problem is that credits run out faster--which is justified when speed is faster. That simply means you consumed more bandwidth, but since it was delivered to you so fast, you might feel cheated because your didn't have to wait. With high speed, consumers might be tempted to try out more data-intensive activities online which will run their credits dry. The real problem, for consumers and Cellcom alike would be deciding what a mutually-beneficial pricing model is. Should consumers be allowed uncapped data and made to pay for speed-of-connection? One problem this raises is that it defeats the essence of having a high speed mobile connection whilst consumers, who are already used to it, might feel they're getting their money's worth. It apparently defeats the 4G argument and the network companies are unlikely to take this path. Should consumers be allowed uncapped speeds and made to pay for the amount of data used? This has been the conventional stance of mobile operators, but goes against consumers. This is not a new debate as far as mobile Internet is concerned, and we can learn from other country's experiences.
Solution? Last December, Google gave out preliminary results of their research into the barriers of Internet usage conducted in Kenya and Ghana. I was privileged to get first-hand insight into the outcomes. I believe we should take at look at it. The link is here: http://google-africa.blogspot.com/2012/12/understanding-barriers-to-mobile.html . I don't want to let the cat out of the bag, so let's take a look at the research findings and bring it into the discussion. What you will find might surprise you.
I hope you find the information useful. Let's keep the discussion going!
Best,
Kpetermeni
On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 11:41 AM, Kemuel Enders <hit...@gmail.com> wrote:
On 09/05/2012 12:09 PM, Kpetermeni Siakor wrote:
Interesting read. But Karl, my understanding of 3G or 4G is that it defines the speed between your mobile handset and the closest mobile tower. It does not define the speed between your mobile network provider and the Internet. Therefore it really doesn't matter whether your mobile network provider is giving you 3G or 4G if their connection to the Internet is slow. Let me give an example to make my point more concrete.
Let's say the Lonestarcell office connects to the Internet at a speed of 100Mbps. And let's say that they sell out 80Mbps to their customers. If Lonestarcell has 1000 customers sharing that connection, that means that each customer gets 0.08Mbps or 80Kbps. Now, it does not matter whether those customers have 3G or 4G, all they would get is 0.08Mbps. Although 3G supports up to 42Mbps and 4G can go up to 100Mbps for mobile handsets, they only get 0.08Mbps. It's like having a huge pipe with only few drops of water passing through. The speed between your mobile handset and the closest mobile tower might be fast but the Internet speed would still be slow.
From the speeds you reported, 250Kbps/110Kbps for Lonestarcell and 630Kbps/420Kbps for Cellcom, you don't need a 3G mobile handset to enjoy Lonestarcell's 360Kbps combined speed since EDGE can already attain about 1000Kbps. For Cellcom, 3G is justified but you don't really need 3.5G or more to enjoy that speed. Hopefully, speeds would improve once the ACE cable is available for commercial use and having a 3G or 4G handset would be justified.
I just thought I should make that clarification.
Kpetermeni
On Sep 4, 2012 4:32 PM, "Karl Smith" <kar...@yahoo.com> wrote:
The "G" Confusion
4G vs 3.9G – Part 1
By: Karl R. Smith
kar...@yahoo.comIntroduction
Are you part of the 4G Confusion and don’t know exactly where to turn to? This article represents the first part of the entire “G’s Confusion” and it will help you to decide exactly which GSM company to subscribe with. I have been caught up with numerous of telephone calls and emails from some of my clients, friends and family members regarding the new generation technologies that has gripped the attention of the technology consumers in Liberia – the Cellcom 4G and the Lonestar 3.9G Confusion.
In this First part of this article on the “G’s Confusion”, I am going to restrict my discussion of Cellcom 4G USB device and the Lonestar 3.9G USB device base on the following:
• Payment Term
• Connection Speed
• Stability & Availability.
Clarification of Terms
Before I expand this article 4G vs 3.9G: The G’s Confusion – let's first define what constitute a 4G and a 3.9G from an end-user prospective. There are other technical factors of both 4G and 3.9G as it relates to the download and upload peaks, transmission technology and signal strength, etc.
In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of cell phone mobile communications standards. It is a successor of the third generation (3G) standards. A 4G system provides mobile ultra-broadband Internet access to laptops with USB wireless modems, smart phones, and to other mobile devices.
On the other hand, 3G stands for the Third Generation and 3.9G falls within the 3G series. It is a term used to represent the 3rd generation of mobile telecommunications technology. This is a set of standards used for mobile devices and mobile telecommunication services and networks that comply with the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) specifications by the International Telecommunication Union. 3G finds application in wireless voice telephony, mobile Internet access, Fixed Wireless Internet access, video calls and mobile TV.
What is the difference between 4G and 3.9G?
From the definitions, a 3G absolutely does everything a 4G is capable of doing. However, there is a slight difference between the two; the 4G comes with a high speed that is faster than the 3G. Like I said, there are other technical factors or equipments requirement that constitute a 4G and a 3G which I hope to discuss in much more detail in Part 2 of this article..
4G vs. 3.9G: The "G" Confusion
There have been many opposing views concerning the status of "G". Which is which? Who is fooling the public concerning the "G” status? To clarify this issue, we will discuss three important points making references to Cellcom and Lonestar.
Payment Term:
Cellcom 4G
Currently, Cellcom is charging users based on the bandwidth consumed which they referred to as “data plan”.
Cellcom has various prices for their “data plan” but this article will focus specifically on the 3GB bandwidth “data plan” which cost 79USD for a 30 days validity period. Cellcom initially started with a 1.5GB data plan for the first month before increasing the bandwidth to 3GB. Cellcom added additional 1.5GB bandwidth to the package which took it to 3GB. The 3GB data plan means, after you should have downloaded and uploaded up to 3GB of data using the internet, your device will be disconnected. Does it worth it? Accordingly to W3C web standard, the average size of a web page is 12KB. Now, if we convert 3GB of bandwidth to kilobytes to be able to calculate how many web pages can be view with a 3GB bandwidth, the formula would be 3GB x 1024MB x 1024KB = 3,145,728KB. Therefore, if we divide the 12KB per web page; users will technically be able to download a 12KB web page 262,114 times. Don’t get carried away by the numbers because it is not as big as you see it when it comes to the web world. If you have to read your email and each email is 100KB, you will only be able to view 2,612 emails excluding other web pages and social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Google+ that consume much more bandwidth. During my test, I was able to use the 3GB bandwidth for only 13 days as an ordinary user.
Lonestar 3.9G
Lonestar – on the other hand is providing a flat fee to its customers for a lower amount, 69USD. Users do not have to worry about if they are using more bandwidth or the types of file that they can download or amount of emails they can read. In short, they are providing unlimited “data plan” for the period of 30 days which is the same validity period provided by Cellcom.
A Big Question for You!
Why would you want to pay 79 USD for a 13 days bandwidth if you can get it for 30 days for a lower amount? Continue reading and you might find out why.
Connection speed
It is always difficult to get the actual speed of a connection due to the complex nature of mobile telephony. To compare the connection speed of Cellcom 4G and Lonestar 3.9G networks, I have both the Cellcom HSPA+ USB Stick and the Lonestar Wimax USB sticks. They are all modems that were used at 3 different locations in Montserrado county:
(1) McDonald Street, Central Monrovia,
(2) Old Road
(3) Duport Road, Paynesville
I did use a Window 7 Dell Inspiron N5110 laptop. I am currently conducting the speed test at other locations and will provide the details soon.
I used the Speedtest.net utility to measure latency, download and upload speeds to yahoo mail server located in California, Sunnyvale City. Finally, I watched a 30 minute movie and listened to an Internet radio station for 20 minutes.
I measured each result three times using the 4G and the 3.9G network; I returned to each location at three different times over a 10-day period and repeated all the tests on both 3.9G and 4G networks. My finding wasn’t consistent so I had to average it accordingly. Here are my findings:
Lonestar 3.9G
On McDonald Street using the 3.9G, I was able to connect at a maximum of 288ms latency with a 250kbps download and 110kbps upload. And on the old road, I was able to connect at a maximum of 210ms latency with a 230kbps download and 70kbps upload. For some reason, my device did not connect at the Duport road so I have no test result for that area. I visited Lonestar Broad street branch and the customer service representative told me that the 3.9G coverage is all over Monrovia and its environs. I had to review the map to make sure if Duport road was part of Monrovia's environs; anyway, the bottom line is, I didn’t get the device to work over at Duport road. I was surprised with the download and upload rate because the latency rate was pretty okay. Technologically, the lower the latency rate, the faster it is. For Lonestar, I am sure that they have a maximum download of 250kbps because all my download tests did not exceed the 250kbps. I was able to watch the 30 minute movie within 100 minutes and the internet radio was okay though there were some outages in the connection. The overall average latency is 249ms with a 240kbps download and 90kbps upload rate -– sorry but the above are technical information are meant for you to verify. For the ordinary end users, if you were to download a 10MB file, it will take about 6 minutes and if you were to upload a 10MB file to a yahoo server, it will take you about 15 minutes.
Cellcom 4G
Cellcom on the other hand on McDonald Street, I was able to connect at a maximum of 550ms latency with a 630kbps download and 420kbps upload. On the Old Road, I was able to connect at a maximum of 750ms latency with a 530kbps download and 120kbps upload and on the Duport road, I was able to connect at a maximum of 790ms latency with a 690kbps download and 350kbps upload. The overall average for Cellcom is 696ms latency with a 650kbps download and 296kbps upload. Honestly, this is one of the best speeds I have even seen in Liberia. Lastly, I was able to watch a 30 minute movie within 55 minutes due to some delay with the internet and stable internet radio station for 20 minutes which were very incredible. Again, the data above are raw data which is intended for those doing research but not for non technical person. For the ordinary end users using Cellcom network, they can download a 10MB file in about 2 minutes and they can also upload a 10MB file to a yahoo server within 5 minutes.
A Big Question?
Why would you want to have an internet connection that will download 10MB file within 6 minutes and upload the same file within 15 minutes if I can have an internet speed that is 3 times faster than the other? Keep reading on and you might find out why.
Stability & Availability
Stability & availability are key factors for every network. Users want to be guaranteed that their download will not disconnect when it gets in the middle, they also want to be able to access the internet anytime and anywhere. Therefore, stability & availability should be a core part for the 4G and the 3.9G offered by Cellcom & Lonestar, respectively.
Cellcom 4G
During my test, I noticed that the 4G devices continuously disconnect unexpectedly after the first 4 days I bought it. The 4G network connection was available at all my test locations but it was never stable. The devices disconnect after every 5 minutes or when the user is downloading a large file. Up to now, Cellcom has not resolved this problem yet leaving their customers to figure out their own problem and have it resolved by themselves. What a shame!
The instability of the Cellcom network defeats the purpose of its availability because it makes no sense for the network to be available in an area if the users cannot use the network for the intended purpose.
Lonestar 3.9G
Lonestar 3.9G network has proven to be stable and reliable during my entire test but a key issue is with its availability. During my test, I could only access Lonestar 3.9G within central Monrovia. Their customer service told me that the device should work in the entire Monrovia and its environs but to my surprise the device could not connect to some locations even within central Monrovia. What a disgrace!
General Conclusion
While it is true that no one company provides all the requirements for a 4G or 3.9G network – both Cellcom and Lonestar need to improve on their deficiencies by upgrading their services with the following key issues:
• Cellcom needs to have a flat fee option or provide a reasonable bandwidth – I would suggest 10GB for starters – 3GB is not sufficient.
• Cellcom needs to fix the unexpected disconnection of their network – this is annoying and frustrating; and if they are not careful, customers will start to leave.
• Lonestar needs to improve their 3.9G connection speed – like my boss said, 3.9G is almost 4G therefore, 3.9G should be able to do 90% of what the 4G does which is not the case right now.
• Lonestar needs to upgrade their entire network, at least in Montserrado, Margibi, Bong, Bomi and Nimba for now which, according to national demographic research data, are densely populated and are strategic for business. The fact that their devices only work in specific areas is also frustrating and annoying. I need to be able to use my device anywhere at any time – not everybody lives in Monrovia.
• Both companies, Cellcom and Lonestar should strive towards providing excellence, reliability and availability to all services.
I want to stress that my article isn't a 100% scientific test article. Network performance can be affected by time of day, distance from the towers and the number of users in a given area, not to mention factors beyond our control, such as the ability of the carrier to ferry its users' data to and from the Internet.
The purpose of this is not to tell you which company to subscribe to or which device to buy but rather to outline the advantages and disadvantages of both companies and their claims of service.
Watch out for PART II – What is the difference between 4G and 3.9G?
Disclaimer: This article reflects my analysis and test and it is in no way banding that whatever written here is true or false; however, it only provides ideas for those wishing to understand the realities behind these generational technologies in Liberia.
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_______________________________________________WAIGF-liberia mailing listWAIGF-...@waigf.orghttps://lists.waigf.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/waigf-liberiaHey everybody,
With all the G talk going on I just thought I should let everyone know how I'm using my 4G modem from Cellcom. After spending about $40 bucks on credit and downloading 4 files about 3.5 megabytes each. I decided I couldn't afford to keep using it. What I did figure was the new 4G data card doesn't gets mounted as a CD drive and not a modem, but it does keep the configuration for the GPRS modem which does load as a modem. (by the way you can't use the 4G modem in Ubuntu as easily as the old one, in fact it's impossible for the avarage user
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Kpetermeni Siakor
It's been a while since I got engaged on this forum. I'm quite surprised that no one has responded to my last conversation.
Anyone?
Best,
Kpetermeni Siakor
Thomas Karyah
The LTE is unbeatable. When there is rain and SatCom cannot show the NBA Playoffs finals I put my internet on and watch the game live online with no difference in visual quality.
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Kpetermeni Siakor
Ulysses Saye Beahquoi II
Hi,
Thanks for pointing out that fact that the statistics of data used. I've always noticed that Cellcom's system of calculating our data used in relation to the proposed credits is not always right.
Several data stats apps show I've used less than what Cellcom claims, but the credit still burn faster on the 4G network. Don't even make mistake to remain connected when your data pack expires. Next thing you know all your credit is depleted in just a couple of seconds. Gosh!
Ulysses
Joseph G Scell Jr
TK, I think Telco Company in Liberia uses this terminology to confuse the lil man who knows nothing about Data rate and consumption. By right, there should be some mechanism put into place to keep subscribers aware of data consumption. From the onset of the increase of telecommunication companies, there has been no transparency at all to users/subscribers which I think isn't fair.
Answering this opportunity requires a profound understanding of subscriber behaviors from big data generated by usage of smartphones, tablets and other connected devices. The top considerations in Liberia smartphone purchases are: mobile network quality, overall monthly plan cost, the brand name of the mobile service provider, the phone and the data plan cost. In order to incrementally capture, retain and grow their subscriber bases, mobile operators must more effectively maximize the utilization of big data. By efficiently leveraging their existing big data assets, operators can generate actionable insights that enable them to:
1. Develop effective marketing strategies to increase average revenue per user (e.g. new tariff plans) •
2. Acquire the next best devices for their networks to attract new customers •
3. Improve coverage and Quality of Service to retain customers (try being transparent).
Mobile operator has to provide clarity and insights, which give universal context to subscriber digital behaviors. The solution delivers a relevant, agile and intelligent service that drives customer lifetime value.
All in all, I want transparency guys!! sometimes I get so annoyed why I had to buy sim card for 65$ USD... Funny right!!! 😁😁😁😁
Thanks,
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