Johannesburg - Saudi-backed Cell C said it would launch South Africa's long-awaited third GSM mobile phone service on November 17.

"True competition is finally coming to South Africa's mobile cellular market... We reiterate our commitment to affordability, choice and a level of personalised service not yet seen in this country," Cell C Chief Executive Talaat Laham said. 

It will compete with Vodacom  - which is half-owned by state-run Telkom, with Vodafone holding a third - and with M-Cell's MTN. To give its subscribers nationwide coverage immediately, Cell C has a 15-year roaming deal with Vodacom.

Vodacom and MTN were launched in 1994 and togther have almost 10m users.

"It has taken the company 21 weeks to commission its service, which ranks as one of the quickest times-to-market for an operation of this size," Cell C added in a statement.

The Cell C group, backed by Middle Eastern conglomerate Saudi Oger, won South Africa's third mobile phone licence in February after a series of delays and legal wrangles. The licence was formally issued on June 25.

Cell C, whose technical partner is US Verizon Communications, said it would announce its product offerings and tariffs on November 15.

It plans to launch with 28 franchise operators, including a nationwide dealer channel, and a wholesale distribution network.

Cell C hopes to capture 15-20 percent of the South African mobile user base in six to seven years, when it sees a market of 16-17 million users from more than eight million now.

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