MTN launches 5G trial in Joburg
MOBILE BROADBAND: ALL IN SA CONNECTED
But Icasa is yet to formally allocate spectrum to local operators to deploy 4G infrastructure, restricting roll-out plans.
MTN has launched the first 5G trial in SA – and in broader Africa – in partnership with networking equipment vendor Ericsson. MTN Group’s Babak Fouladi said yesterday that its plan is to have everyone in SA connected to mobile broadband, including in rural areas. He said MTN will do this by building a ubiquitous 3G network covering the entire country, while offering the latest technologies based on 4G/LTE and 5G in urban areas.
The group launched the 5G trial “in recent days”, said MTN SA spokesperson Jacqui O’Sullivan. It follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Ericsson at AfricaCom in 2017 to collaborate on the roll-out of 5G.
The 5G trial is based on commercially available baseband hardware and 5G mobility is supported, the group said.
“MTN has tested a range of 5G use cases and applications in its test lab proof of concept in South Africa, which will lead to commercial deployment in the near future.”
But MTN SA’s Giovanni Chiarelli emphasised that it is hamstrung in its roll-out plans until it can get access to additional radio frequency spectrum.
Regulator Icasa has still not formally allocated spectrum to local operators to deploy 4G infrastructure, forcing the companies to reallocate 2G and 3G spectrum for 4G technology.
Spectrum
“There is no doubt that 5G will offer the consumer higher speeds and lower latency, but to achieve this we need the capacity that comes with additional spectrum, thus once again we call on the government to urgently release the much-needed spectrum that is required in South Africa to lower the cost of data and drive growth and development for all South Africans,” Chiarelli said.
He said 5G delivers at least 100 times the throughput of 4G. He said it will prove to be a significant challenger to fixed-line fibre alternatives.
For the trial, MTN is using 800MHz of spectrum in the 15GHz band.
Vodacom late last year said it would trial 5G technology in SA with Nokia. Working with Vodacom in a series of workshops and trials, Nokia would test how 5G technology could be used to meet demand in SA.
Nokia would leverage expertise from its Bell Labs Consulting arm to work with Vodacom and identify where, when and how to evolve its network to 5G.
Vodacom’s Andries Delport said 5G would have applications in big data analytics, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, and the internet.
The companies didn’t say when their trial would begin.
This article was published on TechCentral and republished with permission.