5G spectrum in South Africa is not coming any time soon

Bradley Prior

Bradley Prior

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5G spectrum in South Africa is not coming any time soon

Communication Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has released the policy on high demand spectrum and policy direction on the licensing of a wireless open-access network (WOAN).

The policy document punts the benefits and the need for the open-access wireless network for South Africa to increase competition and benefit consumers.
 
In short, this means that mobile operators will not get any additional 5G spectrum this year.

It also means that the launch of commercial 5G services may be delayed for any telecoms companies which do not already have 5G spectrum.
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do you think they will get 4G spectrum this year......???? [i'll help: no & probably not in 2020 either]
the fact that govt is getting prepped for 5G should be welcomed, hardly bad news
 
Listened to Boris Johnson's speech yesterday.

The UK wants to be the 5G and fast broadband leaders of the world, would be nice if government sa can try to aim for at least 10% of that. Digital is the future, it's the only way to stop crime and murder.
 
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Realistically there's no real need for further 5G spectrum this year, we are not going to get massive rollout in the next 12 months anyway.... When looking at the major networks.
 
Stevewarren said:
That is what is behind the whole woan thing. Another SOE milk
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The idea is noble - but not with this regime

It's similar to Government laying ducts throughout the city, and allowing all fibre providers to blow fibre though them, so as not to dig up pavements every year and bring down the cost - but even that would be surrounded with corruption and price inflation
 
So luckily Telkom and Rain has 5G spectrum in sub 6Ghz about Rain there is a light at the end of tunnel because Vodacom will roam on Rain 5G network, in short rain will continue to offer cheaper deals
 
The idea behind a WOAN is good. It would be most effective in rural areas with the digital dividend. Operators don't really want that spectrum but they want it easier to roll out in less lucrative areas. It would solve both problems. I just don't trust it to go right and it will end up being another Infraco.

I still say the best way forward is to assign it to multiple smaller geographic operators and have the networks roam on each other.

dominic said:
do you think they will get 4G spectrum this year......???? [i'll help: no & probably not in 2020 either]
the fact that govt is getting prepped for 5G should be welcomed, hardly bad news
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Which 4G spectrum? From what I know almost all of it has been assigned. Spectrum is really technology agnostic and existing spectrum could be used for 5G as well.

Polymathic said:
Realistically there's no real need for further 5G spectrum this year, we are not going to get massive rollout in the next 12 months anyway.... When looking at the major networks.
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When then? Do you want to delay it another 12 so we don't get massive rollout in either the next 12 months or the 12 after that? That's what happens with delays, they only make things take longer where we could have started right now.

Joseph matane said:
So luckily Telkom and Rain has 5G spectrum in sub 6Ghz about Rain there is a light at the end of tunnel because Vodacom will roam on Rain 5G network, in short rain will continue to offer cheaper deals
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I'd prefer Vodacom not to roam on Rain and degrade the service even further.
 
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Swa said:
The idea behind a WOAN is good. It would be most effective in rural areas with the digital dividend. Operators don't really want that spectrum but they want it easier to roll out in less lucrative areas. It would solve both problems. I just don't trust it to go right and it will end up being another Infraco.

I still say the best way forward is to assign it to multiple smaller geographic operators and have the networks roam on each other.


Which 4G spectrum? From what I know almost all of it has been assigned. Spectrum is really technology agnostic and existing spectrum could be used for 5G as well.


When then? Do you want to delay it another 12 so we don't get massive rollout in either the next 12 months or the 12 after that? That's what happens with delays, they only make things take longer where we could have started right now.


I'd prefer Vodacom not to roam on Rain and degrade the service even further.
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I was trying to make a level headed counter to the doom and gloom take from the staff writer.
 
Interested how Rain is doing with their 5G testing as they have been testing for a few months now and they said they already had the spectrum
 
kyuubi64 said:
Interested how Rain is doing with their 5G testing as they have been testing for a few months now and they said they already had the spectrum
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5G on existing spectrum. That will be about 3x better than LTE-A. 6Ghz+ is needed for the real benefits of 5G.
 
For me the latency and stability is more important in 5g vs 4g. Data prices will have to drop massively for me to need over 100mb connection.
 
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Meanwhile, in countries that are forward-thinking:

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49126035

True uncapped 5G @R389/month.

"The network told the BBC there was "absolutely no throttling".

"Our 5G is completely unrestricted and there no catches," a spokeswoman said."
 
Polymathic said:
Realistically there's no real need for further 5G spectrum this year, we are not going to get massive rollout in the next 12 months anyway.... When looking at the major networks.
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Regulators in the US, much of Europe, Australia, many countries in Asia - have auctioned the mid-band 5G spectrum already (and some low-band) to get the ball rolling. Those countries are already switching on 5G on that spectrum. Those countries realise the link of LTE and 5G to economic growth and competitiveness. South Africa has yet to assign its 4G spectrum. We're sitting at 0.6% GDP growth, which is actually going backwards.
 
Swa said:
Which 4G spectrum? From what I know almost all of it has been assigned. Spectrum is really technology agnostic and existing spectrum could be used for 5G as well.
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thanks....
we all know what spectrum we are talking about and have been for the last decade
 
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