Rain launches Africa’s first commercial 5G network

SA’s internet consumers are set for a world of better internet speeds, faster downloads and more reliable connections with 5G.

Rain, the data-only network operator that is partly owned by Patrice Motsepe, Paul Harris and Michael Jordaan, said on Wednesday that it had activated Africa’s first commercial 5G network, making it available to selected existing customers.

The 5G wireless data network, deployed in parts of Johannesburg and Tshwane, “is one of the first in the world and will help SA to benefit from lower data costs and the coming fourth industrial revolution”, Rain said.

5G provides data speeds that are more than 100 times faster than 4G networks or LTE (long-term evolution).

The company said its initial 5G offering provides fast wireless connectivity to homes and businesses as an alternative to ADSL, fibre and fixed-LTE.

Rain’s chief marketing officer, Khaya Dlanga, said selected customers in Rain’s 5G coverage area had been invited to be the first to purchase ultra-fast 5G unlimited internet for R1,000 a month.

Rain said in February it had partnered with China telecoms giant Huawei to launch SA’s first 5G commercial network.

The network has been rolled out in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

A world in which all our devices talk to each other is the promise of 5G.

This “internet of things” sees the world moving towards a future of self-driving cars, smart homes and artificial intelligence. –