Rain launched South Africa’s first 5G network in parts of Tshwane and Johannesburg and Tshwane
- Data-only network supplier Rain has launched its 5G network in parts of Joburg and Tshwane.
- Customers will pay R1,000 a month for opened internet access.
- Rain said its 5G network would have speeds around 200 Mbps
Rain South Africa has initiated South Africa’s first 5G network in areas of Johannesburg and Tshwane, and it is proposing prices that make fibre networks seem slow.
5G is the newest iteration development of wireless data standards and promises to be approximately ten times quicker than the new state-of-the-art 4G used by cellphone networks, while also being more consistent.
Rain, the data-only mobile operator, said particular present customers had been invited to use the innovative ultra-fast connection with unlimited internet access for R1,000 a month. Other eager users can apply for 5G via Rain’s website, and will be notified once it is accessible in their region.
The chief marketing officer of Rain, Khaya Dlanga said the company had attained speeds of 700 Mbps during experiment, but the usual client will experience speeds around 200 Mbps.
By contrast, a 40 Mbps fibre line at Telkom charges R1,199 a month, and one will be charged R1,067 a month for a 50 Mbps fibre connection through Afrihost.
Somewhere in the subsequent year, 5G coverage area will be expanded to Cape Town and Durban, Dlanga said.
MTN and Vodacom have both said they could introduce 5G locally in 2019, but have been constrained due to a lack of access to the essential radio frequency spectrum. In 2018, Vodacom already launched a 5G network in Lesotho.
In a policy dialogue, document released in August, the national treasury said data prices could drop by as much as 25% if the suitable range is released in South Africa. The release of the spectrum, Treasury said, would lessen the cost of doing business in SA and positively contribute up to 0.6% in economic growth.
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In July, Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams issued a policy instruction to Icasa to release additional spectrum. If executed, that would be the first time in 14 years that extra spectrum is released for use, after the state consistently failed to meet its deadlines to do so.
In August, Icasa in an interview told that the body is still “applying its mind on the published policy direction” and will only plan the process to release spectrum at an advanced stage.
