First high-speed 5G SA internet service

VODACOM agreed to a partnership with Nokia Oyj that will see South Africa’s biggest mobile network operator trial the country’s first high-speed 5G internet service.

The two companies will work together to see how the mobile broadband can be best used in South Africa, where the government has delayed a proposed auction of new spectrum.

They will also examine how 5G can be used to boost industries that are important to the economy, including manufacturing, mining, and health care.

“Africa is in the middle of a mobile connectivity boom, and as such, 5G will help us to deliver faster internet speeds,” Vodacom chief technology officer Andries Delport said yesterday.

South African mobile phone companies, including Johannesburg-based Vodacom, are investing in improving networks and data services.

They have been frustrated by the government and the main telecommunications regulator. Vodacom had 39.4 million customers in South Africa at the end of June, leading MTN Group’s 30.9 million by end September.

Nokia and main rivals Huawei Technologies and Ericsson are currently testing 5G equipment in dozens of locations worldwide, with a view to start large-scale commercial deployments in 2020. The service is fast enough to download a feature film in less than a second.

Vodacom shares declined 1.59 percent to close at R149.95 on the JSE yesterday, valuing the company at R258.13 billion. - Bloomberg