Rain ’ s commercial 5G is Africa ’ s first
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.
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 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 long-term evolution (LTE). The company said its initial 5G offering provides fast, wireless connectivity to homes and businesses as an alternative to ADSL, fibre and fixed-LTE.
However, in a country with notoriously high data costs, fibre remains the most affordable form of internet access in SA. Representatives of the fibre industry also say they do not see 5G as a threat.
Juanita Clark, CEO of FTTX Council Africa, an industry body for fibre providers said, “Mobile data costs are still too high to compete with fibre to the home (FTTH) service offerings, especially where consumers are using it as a streaming mechanism.”
One major drawback of 5G is that operators have to build and install more signal boosters as 5G signals operate best at short distances of about 300m and degrade at longer distances, unlike 4G which can deliver over a 15km radius.
To help this, 5G operators will take advantage of existing fibre networks to carry internet traffic. These networks can accommodate up to 1-million devices per square kilometre. Even in a crowded area this means users will not experience network slowdowns as seen on other types of networks.
“Fibre and mobile networks have a symbiotic relationship,” said Clark. “It is estimated that only approximately 11% of traffic will be carried by the mobile network, and the other 89% of the network traffic [will be] supported and carried on the backhaul fibre network. Very close co-operation between mobile network operators and fibre network operators is required.”
Rain’s chief marketing officer, Khaya Dlanga, said selected customers in Rain’s 5G coverage area have been invited to be the first to purchase 5G unlimited internet for R1,000 per month.
5G PROVIDES DATA SPEEDS THAT ARE MORE THAN 100 TIMES FASTER THAN 4G NETWORKS OR LONG-TERM EVOLUTION
Rain announced in February that it had partnered with Chinese telecoms giant Huawei to launch the first 5G commercial network in the country. The network has been rolled out in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
A connected world in which all our devices talk to each other is the promise of 5G and the Internet of Things sees the world moving towards a future of selfdriving cars, smart homes and artificial intelligence (AI).
Global estimates have 5G technology coming online as of 2019, with mainstream adoption being reached in 2025.