South African telecoms operator Telkom has unveiled it’s 5G high-speed internet network adopting technology from Huawei. The company revealed this on October 27, highlighting the need to boost its fast-growing mobile data and fixed-line broadband businesses amid the increasing demand for broadband.
Telkom, which the South African Government partly owns, is now in the league of renowned competitors Vodacom and MTN, as well as smaller peer rain, who is on the 5G train.
Chief Executive Officer of Telkom Consumer and Business, Lunga Siyo said: “At launch, Telkom will primarily focus on providing super fast 5G fixed wireless access solutions, as the demand for mobile 5G increases, we will supplement this with suitable mobile propositions.”
Speaking during the launch, Fortune Wang, Carrier Business Director for Huawei South Africa, said there had been a demand for the connection to the digital space since the Corona Virus outbreak.
Read also: Government acquires Telkom Kenya entirely
According to Wang said: “the COVID pandemic has driven significant lifestyle changes for South Africans, due to work from home or school from home, online shopping and an ‘always on’ kind of culture.”
The Huawei Director noted that 5G, with its ultra-high speed and low latency, will aid innovative services for South African consumers, such as online augmented reality and virtual reality gaming and ultra-high definition streaming. The 5G network will also enable businesses with cloud and artificial intelligence technologies, Wang.
5 African Countries That Have Launched 5G Services
Apart from South Africa, several other African countries have already rolled out Commercial 5G services:
Nigeria
Africa’s largest economy and most populous country issued spectrum licenses for 5G services in March after years of back-and-forth negotiations. The country launched its first commercial 5G services in August of this year, and the Nigerian Communications Commission announced recently that it is set to auction two more slots in the 3.5 GHz band.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean telecom Econet announced in February 2022 that it had launched the country’s first 5G network. There are currently 10 active 5G sites situated in and around Harare, the country’s capital city.
The company has plans to activate 12 more 5G infrastructure sites in the coming months.
Seychelles
Situated in the Indian Ocean, the islands of Seychelles welcomed the launch of the fifth generation of mobile internet in November 2020. However, many of the island’s inhabitants responded negatively to the launch, claiming health concerns.
However, by 2021, six regions in the Seychelles had begun to see internet speeds of more than 1.2Gbps from certain 5G providers.
Botswana
On February 25, 2022, Botswana telecoms operator Mascom launched 5G to the residents of Gaborone, the country’s capital. The rollout began with only four sites in the city, with plans to build 100 more stations by the end of 2022.
Ethiopia
On May 9, Ethiopia announced its commencement of trials for its first 5G mobile network in its capital, Addis Ababa. The Horn of Africa country has just started to build up its telecom services beyond what the government used to do.
Earlier in May, however, Ethio Telecom launched 5G services at a massive event filled with pomp and circumstance in Addis Ababa.