5G Benefits
Benefits & Challenges of Harnessing 5G in South Africa
Fifth-generation (5G) wireless broadband is no longer a future technology – it’s here and is already available in limited key metropolitan areas in South Africa. The country, with its limited Internet access and infrastructure, high data costs and ailing economy, can benefit in multiple ways from 5G. However, there are also some issues that South Africa needs to deal with as communication service providers (CSPs) gear themselves for the 5G era and maximise the value the technology can bring. A recent study by IT services and consulting company Accenture, titled The Future Home in the 5G Era, opens a window into consumer lives in a 5G world and offers a roadmap for service providers to make hyperconnected 5G living a reality when we need it most. Globally, the value of access to information...
5 Reasons Why 5G Makes a Real Difference
Over the last 36 months, 5G has rapidly gained mindshare in society as a vital technology. But not all stakeholders in industries adjacent to the telecom industry understand what makes 5G different from its predecessors. In this post, we describe a set of strategic choices made for previous mobile generations of which we made a single choice. 5G makes it possible to embrace both options, thereby unlocking larger opportunities earlier in the deployment cycle. Here are 5 Reasons Why 5G Makes a Real Difference: 5G is for Both Consumer and Business Users The introduction of 4G was consumer-led, with infrastructure and device technology development centred around smartphones for consumers. Businesses adopted consumer technology through a more visible, bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement. Inte...
Vodacom SA Launches 5G in Northern Cape with ICASA’s Temporary Spectrum
Vodacom Central Region has become the first network provider to launch a 5G mobile network in Kimberly, Northern Cape province of South Africa. The new 5G network supports both mobile and fixed wireless access services. Customers of the carrier with 5G enabled devices, and within a 5G coverage area, are now able to access the new 5G network in Northern Cape province. In May 2020, Vodacom switched on South Africa’s first live 5G mobile network in three cities – Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. This network supports both mobile and fixed wireless services and is currently available in Free State, Gauteng, Western Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu Natal provinces. To launch the 5G network in Northern Cape, Vodacom used the temporary spectrum assigned by the Independent Communications...
