Yesterday, when we posted an article about Spiritage’s new voice telephony and Internet company, Brodacom, we echoed the message from Brodacom’s adverts that you could reserve your number on the site www.reserveyournumber.co.zw which, Brodacom had promised, would be available at 1400hrs yesterday. It didn’t happen. And by the time we left the office yesterday, the number reservation system still wasn’t available.
Today though it’s working they’ve switched it on! I personally just reserved my Econet number (well, part of it) so I can migrate ASAP when the opportunity presents itself.
We’re concerned though with how unpolished the internet side of the launch strategy feels and we’re wondering if this reflects on Broadcom’s rollout readiness. Yesterday for example, we reported on Brodacom’s new website www.brodacom.com, and it was hastily taken down soon after. It currently still shows some red “Website coming soon” text.
Someone at Spiritage must have switched it on before its time, so, chances are whatever products and services we were seeing there (Tokmo, TokBusiness, Brodahome, BrodaBand, Anywair) are not ready for unveiling.
www.brodacom.co.zw, where the market (and Google Search) would naturally expect Brodacom to be, has some web hosting company default landing page. The domain spiritage.co.zw is not registered at all. Same goes for spiritagegroup.co.zw.
The www.true4g.co.zw website on the other hand, where Brodacom cleverly asked its market what it expects from a true 4G network, still says “Sorry responses will be open on Thursday 14 July 2011” when you check for responses. This despite the fact that today is Thursday 14 July 2011.
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Is that an iPhone??? Please don’t patronize us, none of your services operate on this device. Put your Zhing phones, don’t flatter us with Apple goodies you can’t serve…
…and invent your own names as well….
Blaz! UDI yakaramba kubudirira. Since you have invented ‘names’, wakaitei? Kupi? Nani? Nei?
Actually an iPhone can work on their network. The iPhone 4 CDMA operates on 800 and 1900MHz, so technically speaking if you bought an iPhone 4 from Verizon in the US you would be able to have the ESN activated on Broadcom or even Africom. Let’s not always be quick to put companies down.
No my friend, it won’t work. It’s not an argument, it’s a fact….
http://www.thechinatimes.com/online/2011/07/299.html
TD-SCDMA (dominant in China[1]) is quite different from CDMA2000 (Verizon, supported by the latest iPhone revision[2]). China also has some CDMA2000 networks, but TD-SCDMA is the ‘officially endorsed’ protocol.
The question is, which protocol does Brodacom support?
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TD-SCDMA
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_CDMA2000_networks
You probably don’t own an iphone. You just see ads and perhaps, window shop. Have you ever heard of creative or poetic license? Why do you want these guys to serve ‘goodies’ when you can’t afford ‘baddies’? These folk are going somewhere while you are stuck in your rut. FYI, iphone and all other Apple products are manufactured in China. There is nothing thats not Zhing. 98% of what you probably own or use in your everyday life is Zhing.
Smith i think Technology hasant been good with you sorry to say that but Jose is right,Verizon is one of the biggest telecoms company in Zim and it rides on CDMA and yes they are GSM/CDMA ecquivalent brands for Iphone ,ERICSON etc etc.read your tech books if you are into technology and if you are not,ask jose
“Verizon is one of the biggest telecoms company in Zim and it rides on CDMA”. That’s news!!. I bet you also understand the concept of Low Chip Rate TDD and and you believe Verizon’s technology is such. Click the link above and please next time do not argue with engineering aspects you have absolutely no idea of..
mkwambo bvepfe itai shoma nhaika. your first article is talking in reference to the iPhone 5 which is not out anywhere yet. The iPhone 4 is now available as CDMA as of February 10 this year. read here…
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31021_3-20028159-260.html
http://techcrunch.com/2011/01/11/verizon-apple-iphone/
for the best coverage and easy migration to LTE l think they would have chosen TD-SCDMA it would make sense anyway…
ooh and the reserve your number thingy domain is down AGAIN….
So stick to the one you have. Don’t bother! Murikumanikidzwa here vanhu imi?
considering the huge adverts in todays edition of newsday.. they could have at least organised to have their websites populated with informative content about their new services. naturally people are going to see the newspaper adverts, then dash to their websites.. (which they advertised the url’s too on the advert if im not mistaken)… sigh.. that to me is already a bad start 🙁
Bambo! Imi ne good start yenyu murikuitei?
??
Oh guys http://www.telecomengine.com/article/china-telecom-plans-launch-iphone these guys are on CDMA 2000 and upgrading this article was out today….
Hey Hey! Thats not an I phone! Can’t you see it doesn’t have a button. HAh!!! Joke’s on you.
Smith you knew very well what i meant the US….nway i guess CDMA is CDMA but it always comes to the access techniquies behind the CDMA technologies….. thts y there is an S AND A T in TD-SCDMA and this i can give as a fact,the access technique is more efficient.
We don’t have Web Designers in Zimbabwe we have Template Installers.
What did you design that won an award? Wakawanei? For all we know you probably stay with your parents but if alone, you are sleeping on the floor. Musanakidzwe nekungotaura machef.
Being a “template installer” is not the problem, at least be good at installing and customizing the template.
What matters for me (an hopefully the client as well) is an excellent end-product.
I will expand on Tafmak3000 and say:
“We do not have good Developers/Designers/CMS Installers in Zimbabwe”
We are waiting and we want to see.
we should all be celebrating this. Please stop the negative comments because just 3 years ago things were more than tough in Zimbabwe. For those who were there to witness what went on in our country know what I am talking about. Who would have thought that today we would be seeing companies like Spiritage, Africom and others doing great things. Let’s just celebrate and thank God because Zimbabwe has come a long way people.
Certainly, criticisms should be allowed and appreciated but one thing is for sure, Zimbabwe will never be the same again. I doubt that it takes 2cents to launch these networks and operate them in countries on the continent, let alone, Zimbabwe. However, kana vanhu vachiona kuti the new guys havasikugona, please vhuraiwo mabusiness enyu murakidze hunyanzvi wenyu vana Charles, Smith, Tafkmak and the Clown (understably so). I doubt that none of these guys will come out with everything perfect but guess what, in comparison to the legacy networks, they have at least 10 years to catch up and out-do themselves. Imi nekugona construction yemawebsites kwenyu, criticising progressive people who are contributing towards the growth of the industry and nation etc you are probably using/stealing company internet, using internet cafes or some dodgy something. Murikukwangwaya vamwe vachitomhanya nezvinhu zvavo. Econet started with 2 base stations but today . . . Despise not the days of small beginnings maface. Nothing big and timeless begins big but small and evolves into a giant. When you were born could you talk? Did you have teeth? Could you read? Could you see? Today . . . voila! Think before you run your mouth or should I say , your fingers. Finally, let me say, if you can grasp it . . .’bad ideas don’t necessarily indicate lack of intelligence but an open mind that is not willing to be confined or conformed to conventional thinking’. Many have died with their ‘greatness’ but others have been willing to express it and ultimately, harvest from it. . . .Youngsters!
ey bra, either you are someone who works at brodacom/spiritage who cannot accept the criticism being discussed on this forum…or you have some serious self esteem issues! people like you will never actually be taken seriously either way.
if you want to bleat about how people should/shouldn’t comment, please go somewhere else and do that… because you are wasting very valuable comment webspace.
@7f1c0eb20577ceb5cc78e6d06f8fe06d:disqus your comment is emotional, largely irelevent and contradictory. It almost made me sleep, thankfully the laughing kept me awake! I am almost tempted to guess your gender. If you don’t like a cup of coffee do you go and open up a coffee shop or better still a coffee factory? Oh I dare not complain about Air Zimbabwe then! Nobody is asking for perfect! except maybe you. I’m normal humans are asking for is sensible and fair service. These people are making money, they are capitalists and they don’t do business for charity. You go donate to them if you like it’s your right, but they have to EARN my dollar!
Of cause I am using dodgy internet, aren’t you? that’s why WE ARE COMPLAINING. ZIMBABWEAN INTERNET IS DODGY ITS ALL DODGY. You said “When you were born could you see?” Ohhhhh I don’t know about you but when I was born I could see, did YOU open your eyes much later???? that would explain a lot. In case you don’t get what I am saying, babies are born with their eyes open (except a few dumb ones).
You said “bad ideas don’t necessarily indicate lack of intelligence but an open mind that is not willing to be confined or conformed to conventional thinking’.” Which mental asylum are you from? Of cause “bad” ideas show lack of intelligence tell me one “bad” idea that worked? Senseless bravado is generally considerer a bad idea here on earth. What you meant to say “Youngster” is perhaps that unique ideas are not always bad ideas! Besides what does greatness have to do with dodgy internet, are you getting emotional again?
Wait a minute, I’m sure you are the one who is responsible for the old Ugly tech zim logo aren’t you?… is you name Tindo???
All I am saying is that putting lipstick on a frog won’t make it pretty. How can INTERNET service providers not have functioning websites.
Next thing Air Zimbabwe will start using buses. What???? they did? http://www.zimpapers.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4109:air-zim-refers-local-passengers-to-buses&catid=37:top-stories&Itemid=130
At the end of the day, we have a right to demand service esp since we are paying top dollar. i mean a case in point are those guys at dotmore (who by the way really reek of parastatal incompetence). they launched their advertising campaign which now seems to have fizzled out.
Guys lets not get emotional about this matter, Check Yourself l suggest you do exactly what your name means, what we are only doing here is to try and get service providers earn their money by delivering what they say they will be, we cant all go get GSM licences can we? Who would not want that, surely if they were there l could apply and get investors to help me out, also we have 14 IAP licences out there why would we want more, when the license holders got the licenses they said they would deliver good service to the people of Zimbabwe, besides making money it is also their responsibility to deliver good service…..service providers in this country always think that they are doing us a favour when in actual fact both parties should benefit because the other is paying and the other delivers, but when one is paying and the other is delivering poor service and the one receiving poor service complains we get such comments like……. ” However, kana vanhu vachiona kuti the new guys havasikugona, please vhuraiwo mabusiness enyu murakidze hunyanzvi wenyu vana Charles, Smith, Tafkmak and the Clown (understably so)……” REALLY IS THAT HOW IT SHOULD GO, I PAY HARD EARNED DOLLAR, YOU GIVE ME POOR SERVICE, WHEN I COMPLAIN YOU SAY I SHOULD BUILD MY OWN NETWORK, how crude, cruel arrogant one can be??
In the spirit of progress we cant safely say (factualy) that Broadacom has failed because we have not tested their service all we want is to test and give comments to some of our brothers and sisters who do not know what 4G is and who is offering what at what price, this is not criticism for the sake of criticism but that our service providers respect us and play fair……….
Hi guys, debate ratopera ndisipo ka…lol
Anywhere Smith you are right, vanhu vanenge vangokumaka because of the colonial connotations your name bears 🙂 Someday someone will tell you that red is blue, you don’t really have to argue back…
I would have wanted to explain why, but then came across Check Yourself aka CEO of a certain company that operates TD-SCDMA in a small country in Africa. Sir you could have prefixed your comments with factual answers to the questions at hand. You can’t rub-off criticism just because you are older,drive a Range Rover and better educated. It’s a bit shortsighted to assume everyone on this forum who is not you is a pseudo web developer and a bed-wetter who trolls from an internet cafe.
When you do your marketing via a web platform, do not expect all of us to become fanboys of your brand. We have opinions and would want you to hear them. Please let the people speak, it makes this world a better place.
I have one question for you…Is the 4G network you advertise the same as the 4G (LTE) from Verizon, or rather it is WiMAX which I’m sure is not available on iPhones of any sort. I may be correct to say that your ads may have been slightly misleading, punch me dead if I’m wrong.
Great job by the way…
i think sme1 has discovered what l thought when closely monitoring Check Yourself comments, anyway looking at how WIMAX has been operating locally these guys might have it but not for the mass market l’m sure they are on TD-SCDMA on migration path to LTE its the only thing that could make sense if they need to do Voice.
following this closely one would wonder if Check Yourself is really a critic or he is working in cahootz with Broadacom……for instance having gone through some of the comments on other stories he has commented on this one more and very emotionally:::::::we are talking about an iPhone, Broadacom being able to deliver service and his comments are…….
Check YourselfCollapseBlaz! UDI yakaramba kubudirira. Since you have invented ‘names’, wakaitei? Kupi? Nani? Nei?Check YourselfCollapseYou probably don’t own an iphone. You just see ads and perhaps, window shop. Have you ever heard of creative or poetic license? Why do you want these guys to serve ‘goodies’ when you can’t afford ‘baddies’? These folk are going somewhere while you are stuck in your rut. FYI, iphone and all other Apple products are manufactured in China. There is nothing thats not Zhing. 98% of what you probably own or use in your everyday life is Zhing.Check YourselfCollapseSo stick to the one you have. Don’t bother! Murikumanikidzwa here vanhu imi?Check YourselfCollapseWhat did you design that won an award? Wakawanei? For all we know you probably stay with your parents but if alone, you are sleeping on the floor. Musanakidzwe nekungotaura machef.Just but a few…..wooooowwww this guys’ emotions are RAGING l wonder who he is or if he can give any meaningful contribution or maybe he is just against pple speaking their minds in this case facts based on the current service providers………..RAGE again and RAGE again coz we aint stopping in any case the network in question has not yet fully launched…..WE ARE WATCHING YOU…….
This is all getting emotional and thats not professional,the discussion almost ended ndisina kuyiona…i thot the discussion was about the technology behind not websites….feel me in guys…what about the websites
Greetings fans and non fans alike.
After some digging around this is the technology that Broadacom are using : http://www.mcwill.net/ it is an ITU certified technology but seems to only come from one vendor so that means expensive non compatible handsets and devices.This technology has been deployed in China but not in a large scale. The thing holding the technology back is the fact that is is proprietary and does not have a very large ecosystem this is usually very inhibiting for the technologies growth and adaption to the market.
Technically the technology is sound but is a one way street.
Good. I appreciate all the comments from the youngsters. This is why the fathers of the country cannot and will not leave the reigns of government for this generation. You are stuck in these little cocoons of “we know it all” simply because you can post a comment on the internet and browse the internet. Anyway, it is expected that children will speak first and then think later as evidenced here and will have to wait for the growth process to take its course. I don’t care what Spiritage/Brodacom/Econet or Telecel’s technology may be but I doubt serious business considerations were not made before they decided to go into business. Criticisms can and will come on pricing, delivery, service and all sorts of things but one thing for sure, they are here to stay and you will, directly or indirectly, buy from all these providers. Endai ku Hingirandi munoita mabasa etsvina amakajaira.
Serious business considerations were made in Yahoo! not going social earlier. Resulting in the semi-demise of the empire, a company (bigger than Econet+Telecel and the rest) made up of management from top business schools with all the MBAs you can think of. A wrong decision is not always right because you are a father, a CEO or Donald Trump.
Youngsters built Facebook, it has 700 million users today, today you don’t have 700 users on your network. We don’t know it all, but appreciate the fact that we might know something better than you.
I think you may a have got it wrong with the Xinwei. Let time prove me wrong…..
Well put.
Blogging forums is about freewill…..and Youngster ,Older nothing makes the Difference “Check yourself ” ……..and lets not get political …. i also believe youngsters can change the world especially in technology…..its still an ongoing science and we will never exhaust it and who has the strenght to do the research….us youngsters
Dude dont pull the politics card, this is not a political forum is you didnt notice its tech zim…technology Zimbabwe if you work at Broadacom as whoever just give us the devices or launch the products so that we test……..buritsai ma CPE and handsets dnt blabber abt youngsters and what note, lets see what you got, from the look of thing you are an orator l hope your service will do you justice, the last time l checked those who talk too much usually fall short on delivery dont add to those stats……
TD-SCDMA (UTRA-TDD 1.28 Mcps Low Chip Rate)
Main article: TD-SCDMA
TD-SCDMA uses the TDMA channel access method combined with an adaptive SYNCHRONOUS CDMA component on 1.6 MHz slices of spectrum, allowing deployment in even tighter
frequency bands than TD-CDMA.
Check yourself is just a troll guys!! do not feed the trolls. lol
I don’t know about you people but I like “Checkyourself” (is he really a CEO or an adult, wow!). I think he ads to the contrast. I was beginning to think that this forum was all about geeks and intellects. well what do you know? it welcomes all types of um… people. I think such comments help keep the ratings up and the audience in a good mood. If we have a right to speak our minds so does “Check yourself”, let the kid speak (he is really a kid right? I’m not sure anymore). Forget the whole “children must be seen and not heard” thing, we are progressive over here at Techzim.
Firstly I feel sorry for the “designer” who thought… “Oooooh let me put an i Phone on this website I think it will make it look preety” it turns out he was wrong because there is some tech blog in Zim that will make you pay for such unrighteous mistakes! I have a feeling Techzim was largely responsible for the shutting down of this website, good job! In this forum we eat companies that throw half-baked products at the market. As a matter of fact their new website better be a good one because I have a few good disses I can’t wait to unleash on the next corporate sinner who decides to sail these waters. You don’t throw half baked products at us, no sir. I’m told that the last CEO who came here left with his self esteem damaged and career aspirations in doubt. Do you know why CEO’s get paid big? Because they also pay big for their mistakes. If you don’t want to be answerable for your mistakes take on politics or manual employment. In business people earn big AND PAY BIGGER! If we call Strive Masiiwa an idiot he won’t tell us to go to hell or rubber his huge fortune in our face! He’ll try to figure out what to change so that we become his next customers. You have to be an ass licker to stay in business. For those wondering what websites have to do with this discussion, all I’ll say is we wouldn’t be having this discussion about technology if they had a good informative website. If you are a business man think for your customer because they are to busy paying to think!
@ Checkyourself I think my achievements or title are irrelevant so are yours. In this forum only the quality of our opinions matter! focus on that instead.
I don’t know about you people but I like “Checkyourself” (is he really a CEO or an adult, wow!). I think he ads to the contrast. I was beginning to think that this forum was all about geeks and intellects. well what do you know? it welcomes all types of um… people. I think such comments help keep the ratings up and the audience in a good mood. If we have a right to speak our minds so does “Check yourself”, let the kid speak (he is really a kid right? I’m not sure anymore). Forget the whole “children must be seen and not heard” thing, we are progressive over here at Techzim.
Firstly I feel sorry for the “designer” who thought… “Oooooh let me put an i Phone on this website I think it will make it look preety” it turns out he was wrong because there is some tech blog in Zim that will make you pay for such unrighteous mistakes! I have a feeling Techzim was largely responsible for the shutting down of this website, good job! In this forum we eat companies that throw half-baked products at the market. As a matter of fact their new website better be a good one because I have a few good disses I can’t wait to unleash on the next corporate sinner who decides to sail these waters. You don’t throw half baked products at us, no sir. I’m told that the last CEO who came here left with his self esteem damaged and career aspirations in doubt. Do you know why CEO’s get paid big? Because they also pay big for their mistakes. If you don’t want to be answerable for your mistakes take on politics or manual employment. In business people earn big AND PAY BIGGER! If we call Strive Masiiwa an idiot he won’t tell us to go to hell or rubber his huge fortune in our face! He’ll try to figure out what to change so that we become his next customers. You have to be an ass licker to stay in business. For those wondering what websites have to do with this discussion, all I’ll say is we wouldn’t be having this discussion about technology if they had a good informative website. If you are a business man think for your customer because they are to busy paying to think!
@ Checkyourself I think my achievements or title are irrelevant so are yours. In this forum only the quality of our opinions matter! focus on that instead.
I don’t know about you people but I like “Checkyourself” (is he really a CEO or an adult, wow!). I think he ads to the contrast. I was beginning to think that this forum was all about geeks and intellects. well what do you know? it welcomes all types of um… people. I think such comments help keep the ratings up and the audience in a good mood. If we have a right to speak our minds so does “Check yourself”, let the kid speak (he is really a kid right? I’m not sure anymore). Forget the whole “children must be seen and not heard” thing, we are progressive over here at Techzim.
Firstly I feel sorry for the “designer” who thought… “Oooooh let me put an i Phone on this website I think it will make it look preety” it turns out he was wrong because there is some tech blog in Zim that will make you pay for such unrighteous mistakes! I have a feeling Techzim was largely responsible for the shutting down of this website, good job! In this forum we eat companies that throw half-baked products at the market. As a matter of fact their new website better be a good one because I have a few good disses I can’t wait to unleash on the next corporate sinner who decides to sail these waters. You don’t throw half baked products at us, no sir. I’m told that the last CEO who came here left with his self esteem damaged and career aspirations in doubt. Do you know why CEO’s get paid big? Because they also pay big for their mistakes. If you don’t want to be answerable for your mistakes take on politics or manual employment. In business people earn big AND PAY BIGGER! If we call Strive Masiiwa an idiot he won’t tell us to go to hell or rubber his huge fortune in our face! He’ll try to figure out what to change so that we become his next customers. You have to be an ass licker to stay in business. For those wondering what websites have to do with this discussion, all I’ll say is we wouldn’t be having this discussion about technology if they had a good informative website. If you are a business man think for your customer because they are to busy paying to think!
@ Checkyourself I think my achievements or title are irrelevant so are yours. In this forum only the quality of our opinions matter! focus on that instead.