Afrihost launching Pure 5G packages — from R749 per month

Internet service provider Afrihost is launching Pure 5G uncapped packages that will run on MTN’s 5G network.

Afrihost told MyBroadband three month-to-month packages will be available at launch, offering up to 50Mbps, 100Mbps, or unrestricted speeds.

These packages will be priced as follows:

• 50Mbps — R749 per month
• 100Mbps — R849 per month
• Unlimited — R949 per month 

All Afrihost’s Pure 5G products will be subject to a monthly fair usage policy (FUP) of 1TB.

Once the user consumes 1TB, their connection will be throttled to 1Mbps for the rest of the month.

Afrihost does not specify the maximum potential speed on the “Unlimited” package, but MTN’s latest 5G advertising material promises its fixed-5G packages can reach up to 500Mbps download speeds and 50Mbps for uploads.

However, these speeds are dependent on a subscriber’s proximity to the 5G site and how many other subscribers are sharing the tower’s bandwidth.

A recent Analytico report based on MyBroadband Speed Test app data collected throughout 2022 found that MTN had the best 5G network in South Africa.

MTN achieved a 233.32Mbps average download throughput, 41.16Mbps upload speeds, and 27ms latency.

Customers can take out a SIM-only package, provided they have one of MTN’s two approved 5G routers — the Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 and ZTE 5G CPE MC801A.

Huawei 5G CPE Pro 2 (left) and ZTE MC801A. (right)

5G routers are still hard to come by in South Africa and tend to be expensive.

Afrihost will bundle the 50Mbps and 100Mbps packages with a ZTE MC801A router at a once-off cost of R2,499 for those without a device.

Customers who opt for the Unlimited package will get a ZTE MC801A router added to their order for free.

However, any customer who takes out a SIM + Device package and cancels within less than six months from initial sign-up will be charged a R999 cancellation fee.

To check whether you are able to sign up for the package at your current address, Afrihost provides a coverage map on its website.

The table below summarises the specifications and pricing of Afrihost’s Pure 5G packages.

Now read: South Africa’s mobile network operators reveal big plans for 5G rollouts