There has been a lot of debate about Cell C’s new logo which we welcome. However, it has been incorrectly reported that Cell C’s logo has been "rejected”. This is not the case.  

Cell C’s application to register its logo as a trademark has been provisionally refused. The provisional refusal of trademark applications is not uncommon. As part of the trademark registration process, companies can make representations to the Registrar in response to the reasons for the provisional refusal.  

Prior to revealing the new logo, Cell C took legal advice from experts in the trademark field and followed all the relevant procedures in order to apply for the registration of the trademark. It must be noted that due to an administrative error by the Registrar, Cell C only received the official notification of provisional refusal and the reasons from the Registrar yesterday afternoon.

There are numerous well known brands and logos which are in daily use in South Africa which have not yet achieved final trademark registration status. In addition, even if an applicant does not ultimately succeed in registering a mark or logo as a trademark this does not stop the applicant from continuing to use the mark or logo.

Cell C regrets to announce that Take a Girl Child to Work Day® which was scheduled for this coming Thursday, 19 August, has been postponed until further notice as a result of the recently announced teachers' strike.

Cell C is fully committed to this initiative and will review and announce a new date for later this year in the coming weeks.

For more information on Take a Girl Child to Work Day® click here.

At a press conference in Johannesburg yesterday, Cell C which for the past nine years has been associated with a red logo and spotted “C”, revealed a refreshing new black and white logo with the “C” in the latter part of Cell C, placed within a solid circle.

The new corporate identity, according to Cell C CEO, Lars P Reichelt, reflects the company’s vision of understanding its customers’ way of life better than anybody else and tailoring solutions around them to enhance lifestyles and improve livelihoods.

The new brand identity also consists of a six-colour bar which represents the colours of the South African flag as a symbol that Cell C cares about South Africa, and South Africa only. Cell C intends to cater to all customers and not just those within specific LSMs.

Our new brand speaks to the changes we are making to improve the experience of our customers at every touch-point

“We are not just flying the flag on specific occasions - we make it part of our everyday life.  It is a reminder that this is the land of incredible possibilities and Cell C wants to be the ‘possibilities provider’ for all South Africans,” said Reichelt.

He said the decision to change the company’s well-known brand was a call to action, in line with the current changes within the company. 

“A brand must be relevant, appealing and inspiring to those inside as well as outside and I believe our new brand speaks to the changes we are making to improve the experience of our customers at every touch-point.

“Cell C intends to gain the trust of customers by being very open about the changes that are needed. Consumers are invited into dialogue and we want to engage them in the change that is happening.  Cell C wants to understand where customers are really unhappy in order to address those issues.” 

Reichelt said to ensure the changes are in line with what customers want, Cell C has partnered with comedian Trevor Noah to be “the company’s eyes and ears”. 

In his new watchdog role as Customer Experience Officer (C.E.O), Noah will see to it that Cell C delivers. Noah will also feature in an extensive marketing campaign that will provide customers with a platform to raise their views, concerns and frustrations by posting comments on www.telltrevor.co.za or by sending an SMS to 32353.

Cell C has also launched an easy-to-use website, where customers from all networks can indicate where their calls drop or where they have connectivity issues. Once these issues have been addressed, Cell C will provide customers with feedback.

Reichelt said the campaign was aimed at inviting customers to participate with Cell C on its journey to improve and transform the organisation and the category.  “We are saying to customers ‘the power is in your hands’.”

We expect Trevor to remain objective and critical throughout the transformation.  “Trevor will work with us, not for us.” 

Relating progress on technological transformation, Reichelt said while other mobile operators were deploying HSPA+ in pockets, Cell C will be the first South African operator to roll out HSPA+ across its entire network and it will do so in the 900 MHz and 2100 MHz frequency bands. 

He said this was very significant as it offered the following benefits to customers and Cell C: 

• A single HSPA+ 900 transmitter can cover 3-5 more area than a UMTS 2100 site
• Indoor coverage with HSPA+ 900 allows for 10-20 decibelsmore gain than UMTS 2100, i.e. much better coverage within buildings
• HSPA+ 900 allows for more than double the throughput at the cell edge than UMTS 2100
• HSPA+ 900 provides 1Mbps throughput at the same distance as GSM 900 voice and provides wider area coverage for voice than GSM 900
• While HSPA+ 900 delivers area coverage, HSPA+ 2100 delivers capacity where needed.  

These characteristics, coupled, with the fact that Cell C's new network is all IP and uses world-leading  software-defined radio technology warrant the label Cell C attaches to its new network: 4G^s! 4 Great Speed and 4 Great Service.

In summary Cell C's new advanced 4G^s based on HSPA+ 900:  

• Allows to cover areas that have not been economically viable before and speeds up roll-out of high-speed broadband to a larger numbers of consumers 
• Lowers CAPEX and OPEX allowing for more competitive offerings going forward
• Yields a better overall customer experience and provides more capacity in conjunction with HSPA+ 2100 

 Reichelt said the company was making good progress on its network rollout and more than 1300 base stations have already been converted to HSPA+ in the 900MHz frequency band. 

“We are currently running large scale user tests in six cities and the results are very promising.  We are also conducting end-to-end tests and are enhancing and optimizing our 2G network. 

He said Cell C will launch its new network, city by city, until nationwide 4G^s coverage was achieved.  “An announcement about the launch of our first 4G^s city will be made in the next couple of weeks.

Cell C expects to cover 34% of the South African population by the end of 2010 with its 4G^s network and aims for 67% population coverage by mid 2011. 

Reichelt added that Cell C wanted to be the operator of choice and in addition to its advanced network will continue to launch exciting and innovative products around the needs of customers. 

He said the recently introduced PhotoCode by Cell C that allowed South Africans to access information on their mobile phones by using QR codes has surpassed expectations. “The application had over 15 000 downloads within the first days since launch.

 Summary

• Cell C launches new brand in South African colours and announces ambitions to become the 'possibilities provider'.
• Customers become the centre of the new brand as Cell C joins the dots
• Cell C vows to put the 'power in your hands' by listening to customers’ needs
• New online website and presence launched.
• New 'dropped call' online service launched for customers to help improve quality of service
• Africa’s FIRST HSPA+900Mhz Network successfully being trialed.
• Over 1300 sites across 6 major cities in South Africa now ready to launch and undergoing 'friendly user' trials.
• Over 30% HSPA+ 900 population coverage target set for year-end 2010.
• Over 15 000 downloads completed in just a few days after Photocode launch in South Africa.
• Trevor Noah announced as Cell C's Customer Experience Officer (C.E.O) to act as Cell C’s Customer conscience.

South Africa and Waterloo, ON – Cell C and Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the availability of the BlackBerry® solution for Cell C customers in South Africa.

Cell C customers will now be able to enjoy the productivity benefits of using BlackBerry® smartphones to stay connected to people and information while on the go. Customers will benefit from enhanced communications, with easy, wireless access to email, phone, calendar, web, instant messaging, multimedia and a range of other mobile business and lifestyle applications.

At launch, Cell C will offer its customers the BlackBerry® Curve™ 8520, BlackBerry® Curve™ 8900 and BlackBerry® Bold™ 9700 smartphones, as well as BlackBerry® Enterprise Server for corporate customers and BlackBerry® Internet Service for smaller businesses and consumers. 

Cell C customers can now benefit from easy, wireless access to email, web, instant messaging, multimedia and a range of other mobile business and lifestyle applications

BlackBerry Enterprise Server is for organisations that manage their own email servers. The BlackBerry Enterprise Server software tightly integrates with IBM® Lotus® Domino®, Microsoft® Exchange and Novell® GroupWise® and provides advanced security and IT policy controls to enable secure, push-based wireless access to email and other corporate data.

BlackBerry Internet Service bundles provide a range of services for smaller businesses and consumers including the ability to access up to 10 supported corporate and personal email accounts (including most popular ISP email accounts such as MWEB, Yahoo! Mail and Google Mail) from a BlackBerry smartphone.

“With customers able to choose between the BlackBerry Internet Service and BlackBerry Enterprise Server solutions, Cell C is giving customers a range of service plan options that best suits their needs,” said Simon Camerer, Cell C’s Executive Head of Marketing. “Cell C is excited to launch the BlackBerry solution to its customers, helping make their lives simpler, whether being mobile is for personal or business use.”

“RIM is pleased to work with Cell C to offer the BlackBerry solution to its customers,” says Deon Liebenberg, Regional Director for Sub Sahara Africa at RIM. “BlackBerry smartphones have been embraced by both business users and consumers throughout the world and are widely recognized for delivering an exceptional user experience.”

BlackBerry smartphones

The slim and approachable BlackBerry Curve 8520 provides easy access to email, messaging (IM, SMS, MMS) and social networking sites (including Facebook®, Twitter® and MySpace®), and features a highly tactile full-QWERTY keyboard for comfortable, accurate typing. It is Wi-Fi®-enabled, and includes rich multimedia capabilities with easy access to music, games and other mobile applications for entertainment on the go. It also sports a 2MP camera.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 features a wide range of advanced communications and multimedia capabilities including a 3.2 MP camera. In addition to its advanced phone, email, messaging, organiser, web browser and multimedia applications, it features built-in GPS that supports location-based applications and services, and has built-in Wi-Fi. It also allows easy access to social networking sites. 

Preloaded with a variety of apps, the BlackBerry smartphones will allow Cell C subscribers to update their blogs, keep web community pages current, or add pictures directly to Facebook

The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is the perfect tool for business professionals and power users. It offers top-of-the-line performance, functionality and features with support for 3G HSDPA networks around the world, a next-generation (624 MHz) processor, 256 MB Flash memory, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi, a 3.2MP camera and a dazzling, high resolution display.

Preloaded with a variety of applications that are custom-built for use on BlackBerry smartphones, the BlackBerry smartphones will make it easy for Cell C subscribers to keep web community pages current, engage in instant message chats or add pictures directly to Facebook. Preloaded applications include BlackBerry® Messenger, Yahoo!® Messenger, Google™ Talk, Windows Live™ Messenger, Facebook® for BlackBerry smartphones and GPS*

Pricing

The BlackBerry Curve 8520, BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Bold 9700 smartphones are all available on current Cell C post-paid packages including the new Blackberry All Week 100 for R199 gives customers 100 anytime minutes across all networks. Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) is free on this package.

Cell C prepaid customers who have a BlackBerry smartphone or purchase a new one from Cell C will be able to benefit from the following service plans. Starting as low as R57.00 per month for BlackBerry Internet Service (Prepaid and Contract) and R114.00 for BlackBerry Enterprise Server , customers get unlimited email and Internet browsing, as well as unlimited use of preloaded data applications without incurring any additional data charges**.

For further information, Cell C subscribers can visit their nearest Cell C outlet.

*GPS is only available on the BlackBerry Curve 8900 and BlackBerry Bold 9700.
**Terms and conditions apply.

Cell C is delighted to have another world-class partner in its transformation towards a customer centric organisation. As of 1 August 2010, Smollan Group, a specialist in the area of field marketing will help Cell C raise the bar in the retail environment by taking over Cell C’s merchandising and trade support function.

Cell C CEO, Lars P. Reichelt said that this move is excellent news for the crew, company and its customers. “Smollan Group has been in business for close to eight decades and is a local leader with global ambitions in the area of field marketing. The Smollan team is highly professional, innovative and forward-thinking which will ensure our customers experience a world-class customer touch-point when they interact with our brand in stores."

“Smollan Group uses cutting edge technology to improve overall efficiency in stores, from geo-mapping for territory planning and demographic analysis to real-time web-based reporting tools to improve diagnosis and trigger better and faster corrective actions. 

The Smollan team will ensure our customers experience a world-class customer touch-point when they interact with our brand in stores

He says the channel support team will also benefit from this development, as staff will be exposed to specialised training and a variety of career and growth opportunities within the group. Smollan Group operates in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, India, China, the UK, Australia and Malaysia and partners with WPP, one of the world’s leading communications groups to provide a global and comprehensive marketing offer to clients including Pick n Pay, Engen, Tiger Brands and Sony Ericsson.

“We have implemented several initiatives this year with our customers as focus point. We have revamped our franchise model to improve Cell C’s ability to service customers better and 110 new stores with a customer-centric interior design have been rolled out to improve overall customer experience.

Reichelt says Cell C’s decision to join forces with industry leaders in the past few months has improved its ability to focus on its core business and to do what it does best.

Cell C today announced the conclusion of a partnership agreement with Merchants, a Dimension Data company, that will see the mobile operator’s customer contact centre managed and operated by specialist call-centre solutions provider, Merchants from 01 August 2010.
 
This follows an announcement by Cell C CEO, Lars P. Reichelt in May this year that the company intends to implement several initiatives to improve overall customer service, including overhauling its billing system and moving the contact centre facility to Parktown.
 

Outsourcing Cell C's customer contact centre to an expert service-provider is the best guarantee of a world-class customer touch-point

"In order for Cell C to become a world-class service provider, we need to establish successful working partnerships.  These partnerships enable us to focus on our core activity and allow expert service-providers to manage other areas of the business in a more efficient and effective manner," said Reichelt.
 
"We have already partnered with several big global names that are leaders in their respective fields e.g. Nokia Siemens Networks and ZTE in rolling out our new 4G network and Huawei in overhauling our IT systems. Merchants is a global leader in contact centre operations and was therefore the obvious choice for Cell C," he added.
  
Reichelt said the outsourcing of Cell C's customer contact centre to an expert service-provider is the best guarantee of a world-class customer touch-point as it will empower the facility with global best practice standards.  In addition, contact centre staff will benefit through access to more specialised training and better career opportunities and prospects, locally and abroad.  "It's a win-win situation for both our customers as well as the contact-centre employees," added Reichelt.  
 
Adam Foster, CEO of Merchants said, "We are delighted to be working with Cell C. We believe that our experience and insight in the customer service arena will enable Cell C to deliver on their strategy to have customer touch points that build positive customer relationships."
 
Reichelt added that building at the new customer management centre in Parktown has already begun.  "The contemporary-designed and energy-efficient facility will be situated much closer to where our employees live and represents an environment that will be an absolute pleasure to work in, which is the first step in ensuring that staff go the extra mile."   
 
Cell's C existing contact-centre facilities are located in Midrand and Durban.  The Midrand-based staff will relocate to the new premises in January 2011, while the Durban-based staff can look forward to a revamped facility that reflects Cell C’s inspiring new brand identity as is reflected in 100 recently renovated Cell C retail outlets across the country.
 
 "We are very excited to be making such positive and exciting changes to our ability to put a smile on the faces of our customers," commented Reichelt.  "Our goal is to offer our customers a world-class service and the new customer management centre and our partnership with Merchants will be instrumental in achieving this."

Cell C is giving you a heads up on all the scams that are threatening subscribers.

Scam 5:
Free Nokia phone hoax email

A hoax email that bears the signature of a former Cell C employee has been in circulation for at least three years.

This email claims that Cell C is giving away free Nokia phones to each email recipient who forwards the email on to a number of other people. The email also requests that a copy of the email be sent to a fake Nokia email address.

Please be advised that this email is a fraudulent means of collecting email addresses.

Scam 4:
Fake Woza Wheneva winner calls

Subscribers should be aware of receiving an SMS stating the following:
Customers are being called by the fraudsters and told that they can "Win with Woza Wheneva" if they purchase recharge vouchers worth R150 from an Engen or Caltex garage. They are told not to load the airtime but to call the person back with the details on the voucher so that they can be "entered into the draw". The fraudsters then load the airtime on their own phone at the expense of the customer.

Cell C is not conducting any such promotion and we are appealing to customers to report any such incidents to us immediately by contacting the Cell C Customer Care line.

Scam 3:
Fake Lottery winner SMS

Subscribers should be aware of receiving an SMS stating the following:
"You have been drawn at 09:23 and won a check - 509578. Call to know the amount and withdraw it."

This SMS should be ignored.

Scam 2:
Fake FIFA 2010 winnings SMS

Subscribers should be aware of receiving an SMS stating the following: "This is to confirm that your cell number has won $2.8 million for FIFA 2010 International Award. Ref: SA2010F22, to claim contact Mrs. Howard via: susanh12010@yahoo.com.hk".

This has been confirmed as a scam and should be ignored.

Scam 1:
Phishing Attempts via email and SMS

Please be aware of the following scam SMS being sent by perpetrators trying to obtain your banking passwords: "Dear (client name), we require you to send the first and second OTP numbers you received on your phone via SMS to ... This is required by the South African Police to verify your bank account that is attached to your mobile phone number. You will be prosecuted if you don't send it immediately. Send the 2 OTP numbers to..."

This message will be received after responding to an e-mail that appears to be from the relevant bank. Do not access any links received via e-mail regarding your internet banking. Type in the link to your bank manually to ensure that you avoid all phishing attempts.

Soccer mania is in full swing and the whole Rainbow Nation is united behind Bafana Bafana in their bid for World Cup victory. In the spirit of this togetherness and unity Cell C are making dreams come true by hosting underprivileged children at World Cup matches across the country every day. 

All in all about 800 children will attend 36 matches in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. Cell C will cover all flights and hotels. For many of these children it will be their first flight and their first stay in a hotel, not to mention a once a lifetime opportunity to be part of the first ever African World Cup.

The first group got to attend the opening match and completely stole the limelight off the pitch. As the group arrived dancing and singing their way into the stadium they were surrounded by the international media and made for one of the World Cup’s most heart-warming stories.

Watch a clip of the good cheer at the first match:

With four business class tickets to New York City in her pocket, accommodation at a boutique hotel and the around-the-clock services of a top stylist, it’s no wonder that Durban-born, Nokulunga Busisiwe Zulu is looking forward to her first trip to the Big Apple. Zulu is the winner of the Cell C WINC Women in New York City competition.

“This is the trip of a lifetime and the fact that it’s to New York City is amazing. I am crazy about Sex and the City and can’t wait to be in the same city that inspired the series and the movie,” said Zulu who has never travelled abroad before.

The Cell C WINC Women in New York City competition, was open to all WINC subscribers and offered an all inclusive trip to New York City with three friends worth R650 000 and includes perks like The Samantha Sex and the City Tour through New York City, dinner at Jamie Oliver’s restaurant Fifteen and of course what trip to New York would be complete without a stop at the famous Magnolia Bakery for cupcakes. The winner and her guests will also receive a Nokia N97 to capture all of the thrills and excitement of their 7 day adventure.

“It was very difficult for me to decide who to take on this trip but I’ve chosen my three favourite girls – My mom, my aunt and my best friend. All of us are single and sexy!” said Zulu.

Launched in 2009, the WINC starter-pack is the first and only cellular package created exclusively for women. It includes a number of benefits that appeal to female subscribers.

“The WINC starter-pack has proven to be a success with South African women and we are certain that this awesome prize will draw the attention of many more women to the benefits of the WINC package,” said Simon Camerer, Executive Head of Marketing.

The moment South Africa has been waiting for is finally here, and you need all the soccer news, views, and interviews you can get. Tune in to The Scoop, a new radio programme for all the fans out there, sponsored by Cell C.

Launched on 8 June, The Scoop is produced by media personality Darren Scott and syndicated by five radio stations across the country - OFM, Jacaranda FM, Heart FM, East Coast Radio, and Algoa FM. Hosted by Barry Lambert and Kevin Fine (with Ian F taking the reins from Kevin Fine from June 28), this two-hour on-air magazine show aims to bring you all the best of the soccer, on and off the pitch. The show covers the big event from every angle, giving you the inside story on the players, the fans, the celebs and all the hot-button issues surrounding the game, as well as providing analysis of the games themselves, from discussing the tactics and strategies of the various teams, to commenting on the plays of the day.

The Scoop features a resident expert who together with an expert presenter, takes calls from listeners, and a roaming reporter who will speak directly to fans in the fan parks. The show kicks off at the end of the last evening game. Listeners can tune in every night between 10 and 12pm.

In addition to the two-hour programme, a daily five-minute slot will give a roundup of the day's activities and give listeners a sneak peak of what is to come. Check Cell C on Facebook and Twitter to find out what scoop you can look forward to every night.

Get The Scoop
Tune in to OFM, Jacaranda FM, Heart FM, East Coast Radio, or Algoa FM.
Show airs between 10 and 12pm daily.

Go to Cell C on Facebook to listen to three snippets from The Scoop.

Cell C is pleased to announce its roaming partnership with Zain, the leading mobile telecom provider on the African continent. Over 41 million Zain customers in all of Zain Africa's 15 mobile operations can now benefit from its 'One Network' services when visiting South Africa. With the FIFA Soccer World Cup around the corner, the benefits for visiting fans will be immediate.

The award winning 'One Network' borderless mobile phone platform enables pre-paid and post-paid Zain customers, when travelling roaming on Cell C as the new 'One Network' partner, to be treated as Cell C customers, ie. local customers in terms of pricing while retaining home country service functionalities. On Cell C's network, Zain customers will be able to make calls, send SMS and access the internet (data) at the rates they are charged in their home countries as well as receive incoming calls at a minimal charge.

Simplicity is one of Cell C's core values and 'One Network' makes roaming a lot simpler for our Zain customers

"Simplicity is one of the core values of Cell C and 'One Network' makes roaming a lot simpler for our Zain customers. We are happy to enable Zain visitors to South Africa to make use of our network at prices they are accustomed to at home," said Cell C CEO, Lars P. Reichelt. "Working with Zain has been smooth and decisive and we are proud that the "One Network" flag also bears the colours of the rainbow nation and of Cell C."

With the "One Network" service there is no need for customers to pre-register, no roaming deposits, and no complicated dialling formats. As in all other "One Network" countries Zain customers can recharge their pre-paid lines with locally purchased top up cards.

"We have reached a significant milestone by reaching South Africa, an African superpower that this season will be the focal point of world attention," said Zain Africa CEO Mr Chris Gabriel. "'One Network' is unstoppable, in every new country in which we plant the "One Network" flag. We are redefining the concept of mobile coverage and roaming by delivering on our brand promise of 'A wonderful world' and we are proud to partner with an equally innovative brand like Cell C."

Since its introduction in September 2006 in East Africa and cross-continent expansion thereafter, "One Network" has been recognised by the international community for significant innovation and raising industry standards, attaining many reputable awards.

In its quest to put the power in the palm of your hand, Cell C has taken a big leap forward. A first for South Africa, Cell C subscribers can now access the search giant Google, and the agenda-setting social network Twitter, on their mobile phones using MXit.

Founded in South Africa in 2003, MXit pioneered mobile instant messaging in the country, allowing users to send text messages at a fraction of the cost of the traditional SMS. Since then its popularity has exploded among the country's youth. In a recent survey conducted by the Sunday Times in which 5800 youths from six provinces were interviewed, MXit was voted number one above global players like Facebook and Youtube.

 

MXit boasts over 20 million users, making it the most widely used social network in South Africa.

The service now boasts over 20 million users, the vast majority of which are South African, making it the most widely used social network in the country. Cell C has always recognised the far-reaching influence of MXit and has used the service as an additional means of getting personal with its customer base. But now, by importing Google and Twitter, the full potential of MXit can finally be realised.

MXit users who would otherwise not surf the internet from their phones out of a lack of awareness or fear of the cost-implications can now get full Google and Twitter functionality at the touch of a button. Not only can users broadcast their ideas across the world or follow their favourite stars like Lady Gaga and Katlego Mphela who share their lives on Twitter, they get the entire World Wide Web at their fingertips via Google.

It's yet another innovation from South Africa's most forward-looking cellular operator, and another way Cell C is helping to close the digital divide. Stay tuned for more.

To add the Cell C MXit bot to your list of contacts, go to Tradepost > MXit Mix > the small screen > Cell C. Once you've done that the power of Twitter and Google is yours.

Cell C subscribers will soon enjoy faster broadband speeds and a host of advanced multimedia services. The operator is modernizing its radio network to keep pace with growth in mobile data traffic and increasing smart device usage. Cell C has awarded the upgrade contract to Nokia Siemens Networks to enhance its radio access and backbone network, in addition to providing managed services under a separate contract.

"We are very happy to announce the appointment of Nokia Siemens Networks as a vendor for our next-generation network rollout plans," said Lars P. Reichelt, CEO of Cell C. "This deal represents another step forward in our promise of delivering a very high speed, high quality network to the South African market."

Cell C has moved another step forward in our promise of delivering a high speed, high quality network to the South African market

"With an unprecedented increase in data traffic, Cell C required a solution that could efficiently accommodate its still-growing GSM business and the need to upgrade to the more efficient 3G voice and data mobile technology," added Jorg Erlemeier, head of Middle East and Africa region at Nokia Siemens Networks. "Our Flexi Multiradio Base Station is delivered with GSM, 3G and LTE features making it the ideal choice for Cell C."

The highly compact, energy-efficient Flexi Multiradio Base Station can be deployed on Cell C's existing base station sites, allowing the operator to smoothly roll-out 3G-based mobile broadband coverage, while simplifying the network and reducing operating costs. Nokia Siemens Networks is also providing its high-capacity, cost-effective all-IP FlexiPacket Microwave solution for mobile backhaul, as well as its operations support solutions for network and resource management, trouble ticketing, and workflow management.

Under a separate managed services contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will draw on its deep expertise and experience in IP-based solutions to provide an array of services such as project management, planning, site acquisition, civil works, network implementation and integration, multivendor integration, network optimization, and hardware and software care.

Cell C made the headlines yesterday after Cell C CEO Lars P. Reichelt released the company's results for the year ended 31 December 2009.

Debt is down, revenue is up, our market share has grown despite tough economic and regulatory conditions, and several initiatives have been launched to improve the business.

In short, the future of Cell C looks brighter than ever.

Read the full stories:

• S.Africa's Cell C profit up, reduces debt (Reuters)
• Cell C shrinks debt, invests in wireless broadband, fibre (TechCentral)
• Cell C to spend R5bn in 2010 (Engineering News)
• Cell C slashes debt (IT Web)
• Cell C swaps debt for equity (Fin24)
• Rica bites cell industry (iafrica.com)

Watch the videos:

• Lars P. Reichelt interviewed on 702

Visiting Zimbabweans and Basotho can call home for less with Cell C's Call Home SIM which offers a special, promotional call rate to Econet Wireless Zimbabwe and Econet Wireless Lesotho.

The benefits of Call Home include:

• Cell C prepaid rates R 1.50 flat rate across all networks
• R 5.00 airtime on successful RICA.
• Cell C promotions, such as 'Woza Wheneva' apply
• Recharge with any Cell C airtime voucher
• 'Friends and Family' discounts to any 7 South African numbers
• Lowest, direct dial cellular rate available in South Africa (only R1.99 per minute)
• Free 'Please Call Me' service
• Access to 3 free 'TOUCH' messages to friends and family in Zimbabwe/Lesotho

Visit www.econetwireless.co.za for more info.

At a press briefing in Johannesburg today, Cell C announced an increase in revenue, subscriber numbers and EBITDA for the year ending 31 December 2009. Cell C also announced the recapitalisation of the company to improve its financial footing.

Lars P. Reichelt, CEO of Cell C, announced good results despite 2009 being one of the toughest years in the history of the mobile industry.

The company reported an increase of 14% in total revenue from R8.6 billion in 2008 to R9.9 billion in 2009. The underlying service revenues increased by 17% year-on-year. Coupled with good cost control, this led to Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) of R1.4 billion in 2009, an increase of 67% from R0.8 billion reported in 2008*.

Cell C reported an increase of 14% in total revenue from R8.6 billion in 2008 to R9.9 billion in 2009

Reichelt said the implementation of RICA on 1 July 2009 affected new SIM activations severely, leading to an industry-wide net loss of customers of nearly 3.8 million subscribers in the second half of 2009. Despite this, Cell C managed to increase its customer base by 8% to 6.9 million active customers, year-on-year.

"The industry was hard-hit by the implementation of RICA. For the first time ever, negative growth was seen in the six months following the implementation of this legislation. In similar market constellations the smaller players tend to suffer disproportionately more. This was not the case with Cell C. We have grown our customer market share from 13.4% to 14.5% during 2009."

He added that the ARPU in both the prepaid and ControlChat segments increased by 10% and 14% respectively from 2008 to 2009. In the postpaid segment, revenues remained flat at 2% year-on-year.

In addition to the good results, Reichelt noted that shareholder loans of R6.4 billion were converted to equity at the end of 2009. "This has improved the company's solvency by reducing debt and increasing equity with an equivalent amount."

As a result, debt to EBITDA has decreased from 9.5X EBITDA immediately before the conversion to 4.8X EBITDA after the conversion.

Cell C managed to increase its customer base by 8% to 6.9 million active customers, year-on-year

Reichelt said the industry also experienced significant public and political pressure to reduce Wholesale Mobile Termination Rates. Cell C took a stance at a parliamentary hearing in September 2009 and proposed a way forward for the industry as a whole, arguing for a significant reduction of the peak mobile termination rate, a flat all day rate rather than peak and off-peak rates combined with a glide path over three years.

At the end of 2009, the three mobile operators agreed to a voluntary reduction to take effect in March 2010. Cell C dropped its standard prepaid tariffs by up to 47% in November 2009 - several months before the voluntary interconnect reduction took effect and was the first and only operator to do so at the time. "When our competitors announced that they would pass on some of the benefits to consumers, Cell C started a second wave of price cuts," said Reichelt.

"Cell C is still the only operator that offers a flat tariff to all of its customers. We offer an all-day flat rate of R1.50 to any network or landline, whether prepaid, postpaid or hybrid."

Reichelt said the company has already implemented several initiatives in 2010 to strengthen Cell C's competitive positioning. The company launched its third lifestyle starterpack, Nike Football in March 2010 on the back of Gospel Life and WINC (Women Incorporated) and announced a new postpaid offer, the All Week 100 in April 2010. "The All Week 100 includes 100 anytime, any network minutes and comes with a choice of an inclusive handset, free itemised billing as well as free caller line identification from as little as R49.

"We have also begun with a network transformation program to improve our coverage and data services. The all-IP HSPA+ network, that in its end state will provide nationwide coverage is in the process of being rolled out. This network will represent a step-change in terms of voice quality and in offering multi-megabit data-services." Cell C is partnering with ZTE and Nokia Siemens Networks to roll out its radio access network.

He said projects to improve overall customer experience have also been launched. "We have reviewed our distribution channels and are building more Cell C stores with a completely new and customer-centric interior design as well as changing our distribution model and some of our distribution partners.

"Thanks to a fantastic and energetic effort by the entire team of Cell C, we posted good financial results and more importantly, customers will soon see the fruits of our hard work in the initiatives that we have implemented." concluded Reichelt.

* Figures are rounded

Now Cell C helps you stay in touch with your loved ones no matter where they are in the world with the new Hello Mobile prepaid starter pack.

Hello Mobile offers Cell C customers discounted international call rates to a whopping 71 destinations. And because it's prepaid, there's no reason to fear a hefty monthly phone bill - just dial the international number and say hello!

With Hello Mobile making that call is easy:

• No monthly fees
• No contract to sign
• No access number to key-in before you call
• No account set-up
• International calls charged by the minute
• Rates apply 24/7. No peak/off peak rates
• Keep your existing number
• Recharge with any Cell C airtime and get free minutes
• The starter pack costs just R10.00
• Also all "Easy Chat Benefits" - R 5.00 airtime on successful RICA, Woza Wheneva, R 1.50 flat rate across all networks anytime.

Dial: 0861 666 786 from any phone, send an email to support@hellomobile.co.za or visit our website at www.hellomobile.co.za to find out more.

Elizabeth Nell, 25, has been announced the winner of Cell C's Win Your Number In Cash competition. The competition was a launched in a bold move to drive up RICA registration amongst our prepaid, postpaid and control chat customers, by encouraging them to abide by the law and register their cell-phone numbers in accordance with the new Rica legislation. The campaign was launched in November 2009 and ended in 31 January 2010.

"I'm so grateful to be a Cell C subscriber and that I did the right thing by registering for RICA," commented Nell. "I recall speaking to the Cell C representative who said "Elizabeth, congratulations, you have won yourself R7, 4 million in cash, how do you feel? I sat in my office trying to slowly digest the news, though it still hasn't sunk in yet. I didn't sleep the whole of Monday night."

When asked how she would be spending such a large amount of money, Nell said she is planning on spending on furthering her studies in the IT field and investing the rest of the money until she has a clearer vision of what to do with such a large lump sum.

In conducting the Win Your Number In Cash campaign, we wanted to send a clear and simple message to the public, that it pays to be a law abiding citizen. Executive Head of Marketing, Simon Camerer, says "The campaign was aimed at all Cell C subscribers and the response we had to the competition was fantastic."

"Although the Win Your Number campaign has been finalised, we encourage those subscribers who have not as yet registered for RICA, to do the right thing as soon as possible" added Camerer.

Mobile network operator, Cell C today announced that it will be investing R5 billion in the next year to expand its network coverage and rollout a high-speed broadband offering using HSPA+ technologies with download speeds of up to 21Mbit/s.

Cell C CEO Lars P Reichelt says that the company will be a significant broadband player in the market, offering 4G technologies at very high speeds.

Cell C's network
will offer download
speeds that are
three times faster
than what is
available in the
market today

"Currently the fastest 3G networks in South Africa offer speeds of 7,2Mbit/s. Cell C's network will offer download speeds that are three times faster than what is available in market today."

He says Cell C is still in negotiations with equipment manufacturers to build its HSPA+ network and more detail about its rollout plans will be made public early in 2010.

Visiting Zimbabweans can call home for less with Cell C's Call Home SIM which offers a special, promotional call rate to Econet Wireless Zimbabwe.

The Fair Usage policy for the Call Home SIM is as follows:

• The SIM is intended for individual personal use only as the primary SIM card of the subscriber.
• Use of the Call Home SIM for commercial gain such as on-selling the service in payphones, least cost routers and the like is not permitted.
• Primary usage behaviour will be determined based upon comparisons with the average primary SIM usage from time to time.
• Should it be suspected that a SIM is being used for anything other than the intended purpose, the promotional rate to Econet Zimbabwe for the line will be suspended and the line will revert to normal Cell C call rates.
• The standard Cell C prepaid call rate to Econet Zimbabwe is presently R7.00 per minute.

The annual results released yesterday by unlisted telecommunications and mobile operator Cell C, confirm that the company's popularity amongst consumers is on the rise.

Jeffrey Hedberg, outgoing Chief Executive Officer of Cell C said the results for the year ending 31 December 2008, underline that the company's strategy continued to pay handsome rewards as the operator declared increases in customers and revenue.

Cell C generated revenue for the year of R8.6 billion, an increase of 14% from the 2007

Cell C generated revenue for the year of R8.6 billion, an increase of 14% from the 2007 year, and achieved Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) of R812 million.

Hedberg said that the results are positive, given the tough economic environment, and the pressure on consumer's personal budgets and disposable income. "Our strategy and tactical plans produced the results in 2008 and I believe the team has met the expectations of both our customers and shareholders."

He added that tighter management control had kept costs at adequate levels while profit margins remained satisfactory. Market share has increased as the client acquisition and retention strategies bore fruit in the year under review. As at 31 December 2008, the active subscriber base totalled 6.4 million subscribers, an increase of 34% from 2007.

Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer, Lars Reichelt said that while the company has performed well in most areas of the business in 2008, there is still significant room for improvement. "The potential for growth remains strong and we will focus our efforts in 2009 to ensure Cell C offers simple, innovative, value-for-money products and improved customer service.

Cell C's active subscriber base totalled 6.4 million subscribers, an increase of 34% from 2007

"Cell C will aggressively expand its network coverage and manage anticipated growth in usage. We will also further improve the operational and financial performance of the company.

Simon Duffy, Chairman of Cell C's Board added that the shareholders are fully committed to the company and will continue to invest in the success of Cell C.

"We are pleased with the results and confident that the company will continue to deliver against the expectations of the Board and shareholders."

Hedberg concluded that he was extremely privileged and proud to serve with a committed and passionate team of people and is thankful to each employee for their contribution in the turnaround of the company. He also wished Reichelt success in his new role and is confident that, together with the team, he will take Cell C to new heights.