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Mobitel, Vodacom, Celtel ... Business is war!By Valentine Marc Nkwame If you live in Arusha and happens to own a cellular handset, then definitely you must be a subscriber to any of the three local networks, currently operating here, which are; Mobitel, Vodacom and Celtel .... Lets observe a moment of silence for Tritel (RIP)! The networks are currently on each other’s throats: Splashing street posters, newspapers, radio and television stations with ads, trying to convince anybody who would notice, that each is more useful than the other. Now being a customer to each of those networks myself, I must honestly say that, they are all as useful, as the Tanzanian Olympic team was, in Athens For instance, both Vodacom and Celtel once claimed that, they have got the entire 600 KM highway, from Arusha to Dar es Salaam, covered. However as soon as you leave the Himo junction of Moshi, it is usually Cheerio for the signals. Well, you may get two bars of coverage, once you get to Korogwe, but the phone would have drained out the battery in the futile network search. Mobitel of course, doesn’t cover the distance either, but at least the company hardly ever bragged of that. Anyway, who needs to make a call when one is already making the journey? The same case applies to Ngorongoro. These cellular gimmicks have even boasted to cover the remote National parks and Game reserve areas, such as Ngorongoro and Serengeti. But the last time I was in Serengeti, the only means of communication were Radio calls. Apparently, there are some parts within Ngorongoro area, where some Vodacom signals are said to be available. However this is usually just for a few minutes and to access the network, you need you need to mount a tree or hill, armed with chunks of meat. Why meat? Well, the lions have to be kept busy somehow as you attempt to make a call with such pathetic signals. Speaking of signals, all the three networks use the earlier version of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). I Once called their network’s customer service centres, asking about WAP, but it sounded like Greek to them. None of them has ever heard of advanced features like the, Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Multimedia Messaging (MMS), or even Web browsing, so it’s either their customer service guys are extremely ignorant, or the local networks are still in the Stone age era. Unfortunately for them, the latest handsets are not. In fact, even the protruding antennas which used to be on the old handsets, have also disappeared, so it is left to these alleged providers to either strengthen up their signals, or alternatively, invest in agriculture. For instance now, third generation phones, that allow video calling are already here, but we still don’t have any third generation networks. It is quite doubtful whether the current ones are even second generation. It actually looks like we are forcing advanced performance out of networks that were specifically designed to operate with the old Motorola handsets, which weighed about 6 kilograms per set thus required a wheelbarrow to be carried around. This indeed was the case during our recent visit to the remote Lolkisale location of Monduli, where all the phones regardless of Service provider, lost their network signals. However, an old man, native of Lolkisale, was registering full network coverage on his, huge, dark, pre-historic Motorola handset, with a protruding antenna and which weighed like lead. It was a Melancholical sight too, taking us back to1996, when such gadgets used to be the fashionable things around here. The sets, used to be worn around the waists, like the guns seen in the old cow boy movies. In those days, a one side bulging waist was considered a status symbol. You see, to acquire such a handset, one had to be the Chief Treasurer of the Rockefeller Foundation. Mobitel, being the only cellular service provider then, was highly revered as the mobile Mosses, sent to save us from the monolith, TTCL Pharaoh .... And it almost did. Except in 1996 Mobitel was an analog network. Its first rival was Tritel, the country’s first digital provider which introduced, slip in SIM cards. Tritel’s Television promotion featured two birds: A caged Hen that can’t fly, meant to represent the analog system and a free flying Hue, symbolizing the advantage of Digital network. The punch line was saved for the last moment. Aimed at those still sticking with the old system, the Tritel concluded: "After all. A bird is just a bird right?" Despite its clever one liners, Tritel got kicked out of the ring. Mobitel also dropped the Analog system, adopting the digital Buzz .... The network earns my respect for choosing to fight the battle alone. Vodacom has signed up the National Assembly Speaker, Pius Msekwa, as its board chairman. Celtel followed suit, by taking on board, the former OAU boss, Salim Ahmed Salim. In Africa, if you want to get away with murder, make sure all the right politicians are on your side, this is a time tested business rule .... Like the Japanese saying; "Business is War!" Never mind, but which of the three networks is better? .... Well! A bird is just a bird.
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