DigI:DigI TIGO Meeting 18Apr2018

= Venue= TIGO HQ, MIC Tanzania LTD New Bagamoyo Rd, Dar es Salaam

= Agenda =
 * 1400h Welcome (Jérôme)
 * 1410h Table Round
 * 1425h Connecting the villages Izazi, Mgoli and Selea
 * Requirements (Felix)
 * TIGO Network presence (Jérôme)
 * 1500h Establishing roll-out plan
 * Equipment
 * time schedule
 * costs
 * 1540 Measuring Digital Uptake
 * real usage from Tigo: # of smartphones, network usage,
 * 1550h Summary of Action Items and way ahead
 * 1600h End of meeting

= Way ahead = Selela, Latitude: -3.210762 | Longitude: 35.947617,
 * please confirm "2G tower".
 * What would the installation of point-to-point link on the tower cost, e.g. Dragon X from Witelcom (https://www.witelcom.com/outdoor). We are working together with Witelcom on these topics.

Migoli: Latitude: -7.145672 | Longitude: 35.819636, we had 3G reception but perhaps not Tigo
 * can you check if the tower has 2G or 3G

Izazi: 2G connection from Migoli tower (no 3G), Latitude: -7.23764 | Longitude: 35.720995,
 * if Migoli has 3G tower, please simulate a 10-15 m mast with directive antenna for 3G hot-spot reception

From our side:
 * we will select our Phase B villages, and come back with a list of villages for request of coverage
 * we will also establish a position paper for the government in summarising benefits of a holistic approach for village inventory, people register, health, education and other governmental areas of interest. Supporting UCSAF next phase broadband to the villages.

Notes by Josef
The business model of operators make it difficult to concentrate on low yield areas. As an operator, you only have limited funds to invest. Thus, investment is performed based on a set of parameters, e.g. presence in the region, market share, number of smart phones, data traffic uptake.
 * new sites are established as 2G and 3G sites, typically with a U900 component. Reason is that people in villages, when having a smartphone, have typically 3G smartphones. 4G has no advantage, see coverage aspects.
 * A governmental priority for broadband in the villages, with external funds from WorldBank, will accelerate the roll-out

Collaborations: Tigo has collaborated with a number of institutions, a.o. on birth registration. While SMS services are generally applicable, apps need smartphones and tablets.

Coverage aspects and network extension
 * the output power from 3G stations is increased to as much as 120 W, and thus cell breathing and coverage is not a problem.
 * Using U900, 3G even covers more than 2G.
 * L800 has approximately the same range as U900, and is deployed together with U2100 for capacity.
 * cell breathing is not really a problem, as it only appears with congestion. Achieving cell breathing is thus a good indicator for the need for capacity extension.

Upcoming technologies of interest
 * Huawei has concept of 4G backhaul
 * low power consumption equipment from both Ericsson and Huawei brought repeater prices down to almost same level as passive repeaters.
 * Huawei RuralStar targets low usage rural sites, the main problem areas for operators
 * cheap USCAF sites are already today running on solar

Wifi critisism
 * 3G allows up to 1000 users to camp on a cell, and 64 (or 128) active users,
 * Wifi only allows 20-25 users, which are always connected. With a higher number of users the signalling traffic reduces the air time significantly
 * Customers in Africa experience Internet from Smartphones, not Laptops. Wifi hot-spot solutions are not attractive, as people don't "stand and wait for usage". Exceptions are hot-spot areas in Pubs, Airports, bus stations.