Kasapa’s Fixed Phone Service: Bridging A Gap

by Oluniyi David Ajao
2007-11-05 07:13:11 | Viewed 2534 times

Ghana’s only CDMA cellular network is branded Kasapa and operated by Kasapa Telecom Limited which itself is a subsidiary of Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited. Kasapa's network is based on a CDMA2000 1X digital technology running at 800 MHz frequency.

Over the past few years, Kasapa has raised the bar of competition, in the Ghana’s mobile telecom sub-sector. Though its subscriber-base it behind that of its GSM counterparts, the cellco is closing in daily. Its trump card is not only the low call tariffs it offers its subscribers, but also the fixed phone service it offers.

Mobile in Ghana: Brief Overview
For one to fully appreciate the context of this article, a brief overview of Ghana’s cellular industry would be necessary. The total number of active mobile phone subscriptions in Ghana is far higher than that of their fixed line counterparts. For further details, see Page 11, Issue 6, 2007 of MobileWorld magazine).

The fixed phone lines where available, are sometimes bedeviled by phone cable vandalization and theft causing service disruption for subscribers. The total lines offered by both Ghana Telecom and Westel are grossly inadequate for the over 20 million people in Ghana.

Bridging the Gap

Launched in late August 2006, Kasapa’s fixed phone service which is branded “Home-Work phone” seems poised to bridge the gap for homes and offices that need fixed phones. According to Hutchison Telecom's website, Kasapa Home-Work is a limited-mobility product that restricts service to one neighbourhood and is targeted at home and office users. It offers even lower tariffs than Kasapa mobile, and is easily connected to fax machines and office telephone systems.

Account activation is free and there are no monthly service charges and no monthly minimum purchase required to keep an account active. All Kasapa customers enjoy voicemail service from the moment they join.

The Device

Kasapa Home-Work Phone is actually a Fixed Wireless Terminal; an AMGOO CX8(R) model manufactured by AMGOO Telecom Co. Limited. The device uses CDMA2000 1x technology to provide both clear voice service and high-speed data service of up 153.6 kb per second.

Some of its basic features include:

• Making and receiving phone calls
• Contacts: (Phonebook with up to 200 entries)
• Messages: Voicemail, Send/Receive SMS
• Recent calls: 30 call records (Incoming/Outgoing/Missed calls)
• Tools: Schedule, Alarm
• Sounds: Ring tones, Volume control, alerts
• Display: Backlight, Contrast, Languages
• Security: PIN management, Call restriction, keypad locking
• Network services: Call forwarding, Call Waiting

Fax/Data capability
The device can be connected to a Personal Computer (PC) running on Windows XP and used as a modem for sending / receiving fax, or dial-up Internet access. Detailed instructions for this, is included in the manual.

Pros:

• Large keypads
• Easy to use
• Loud and clear speakerphone
• Large display

Cons:

• Audio volume cannot be controlled whilst call is in progress
• Ring tones can be better
• Phone book too small. Only 200 spaces.
• SMS storage capacity is a mere 200.

The Service

Each device is locked to a particular cell site after service activation. Thus, the particular device would use less network resources than its fully mobile counterpart. The main idea behind this service can thus be fulfilled: lower call/SMS tariffs. As a matter of fact, Kasapa’s mobile service call tariffs are lower than that of any other cellular network in Ghana. The tariff for the Home-Work phone service is even lower.

Calls from Kasapa Home-Work (GH Pesewas per minute)
To Kasapa Home-Work or Mobile	6	4.5	FREE
To any fixed number in Ghana (GT, Westel)	6	6	6
To any other mobile number in Ghana	10	10	8
To an international number	18	18	18
SMS from Kasapa Home-Work (GH Pesewas per message)
To Kasapa Home-Work or Mobile	4	2	4
To any other mobile number in Ghana	4	4	4
To any international number	6	6	6

*100 GH Pesewa = 1 GH Cedi = 10,000 cedis = 0.93 US Dollar, as at July 12th 2007.

Pros:

• Low call and SMS tariff structure
• Quick and easy to acquire. Same-day activation
• Good call quality
• Much less network congestion when compared to other cellular networks in Ghana

Cons:

• Limited coverage. Kasapa’s network currently does not extend to the northern parts of Ghana.
• International calls sometimes require redialing.

This author procured one of the fixed phone terminals before writing this piece. This write-up is based on an extensive use for about 3 weeks.

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The author, Oluniyi David Ajao is based in Ghana and blogs at www.davidajao.com

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