Has Mobile Broadband screwed up the GSM networks?

Most of you will know the story about boiling a frog:-  Drop a frog into boiling water and  it will leap out; slowly heat the water in which the frog is floating, and it will slowly cook before it realizes the peril.

'twas here that I posted about the quality of of the GSM networks in this country dropping off.  We're not going to have anyone from one of the networks officially admit it.  Why would they?  But I've had sufficient anecdotal evidence from people I speak to to indicate that the incidence of "network  busy" (or just unavailable) and dropped calls has increased in the last few years.

Just this last week, I was told (off the record of course) by a representative from one of the mobile networks that where they used to install two 2Mbps COFLs (Cellular Operator Fixed Links) to each base station (one to carry the voice traffic, one as backup/loadsharing), they now install six to eight, and despite the increase, those are often congested.  Why?  3G/HSDPA of course.  A 2G voice call takes up 9.6kbps (using "full rate"; "half rate" for calls when a base station is more than 70% saturated).  3G can take up to 384kbps (on downlink); HSDPA up to 1.8Mbps (on downlink).  The equipment at the Base Station and at the Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) for 2G & 3G is separate, but the backhaul from Base Station to MSC (the COFL) is used for both 2G & 3G. 

And there is the problem.  Congestion on the COFL's caused by mobile broadband affects voice calls.

So why don't they upgrade the COFL's?

Until recently, the Mobile Operators were obliged to get the COFL's from Telkom. Telkom can't keep up.  They've got fibre galore.  They have however, over the past few years, lost so many network planning & installation staff capable of handling the necessary roll-out of WiMAX, NGN, Metro Ethernet, COFL's, etc, they're running ragged.  And with others (like MTN & Vodacom) now rolling out similar networks now, it is unlikely they're likely to solve this issue soon.

Is it a wonder the GSM guys are gagging to be allowed to use WiMAX for backhaul; why they are rolling out metro fibre networks and NGN's?

One negative impact of a market that is growing rapidly is the lack of skilled resource.  Ask any recruitment agency right now to find you good ITC sales people, developers, network architects, etc.  Rocking horse sh*t is easier to find.

We need good broadband to be as accessible as possible in this country.  We have a way to go before we get there.  In the meantime we will have to accept that the way will be a little bumpy.