Cell C Launched its HSPA+ Network but what does that really mean?

Cell C launched its HSPA+ Network Today, what does this mean for the average South African? I believe this is the day Apple heralded yesterday when it launched it's "meh" Beatles back catalogue; today is the day you will never forget.

Don't take my word for it, Hilton Tarrant said in his post on the Cell C launch, "Today, Cell C leads the pack (a sentence I wasn't ever sure I'd write). It has the best network. And the best pricing. Will the others follow?"

Cell C's core infrastructure is smart, it's HSPA+ 900-MHZ network with 2,000 transmitters (said to be three times more powerful than UMTS transmitters) and 1,600 km of dedicated fibre make it purpose built for rolling out across a country as expansive and large as South Africa. Additionally a focus on intelligent software implementation rather than hardware means Cell C can, for at least the foreseeable future, update software instead of costly transmitters.

What does this translate into? Cell C has slashed its data prices, and has brought high speed data access to South Africa's broader populous. It wasn't the tech speak that had me excited, but the idea that in a few months more South Africans than ever before will have access to information, education, and social networking services.

The success of a political system like democracy in an emerging economy can be directly correlated to the collective intelligence of the people who rule. Gaining access to information makes for a smarter electorate and easier comparisons between oneself and the rest of the world. More people with more access to data means more smart people, more knowledge exchange and the production of a knowledge based discourse rather than that of a political one. (everything is political...I know I know)

So congratulations Cell C, you unveiled some amazing tech to the techies but you might just have changed the digital landscape in South Africa forever.