Rain launches Loop device with zone-based unlimited 5G for R475 per month
Rain has launched a new portable 5G router with smartphone-like functionality called Loop, which comes with new unlimited 5G packages for R475 and R675 per month.
The router features an integrated touch screen, stereo speakers, a camera, and an Android-based operating system, allowing customers to install their preferred music and social media apps.
“With the Loop, you can carry your Wi-Fi with you, and take stereo music everywhere,” Rain said in its announcement for the new product.
“It’s not just a portable 5G router and stereo speakers. It’s a loop. The first of its kind. The beginning of an exciting new category.”
In addition to the unique form factor, the Loop launched with a new type of package from Rain with a feature it calls Loopzones.
These include “Unli Loopzones” and “Open Loopzones”. While inside a Loopzone, subscribers enjoy unlimited data. Everywhere else, customers on these packages are billed per gigabyte.
An Unli Loopzone allows subscribers to get unlimited data at a location of their choice. The location may be changed multiple times within the first 7 days after purchase, and once per calendar month thereafter.
An Openzone is a Rain-designated area available to all customers, irrespective of their chosen plan, at no additional cost.
The base Loop Pergig package is R475 per month, includes 25GB of data, and has no bundled Unlizones.
Alternatively, subscribers can opt for the Loop Unlizones product, which has 10GB of data and includes one Unli Loopzone, for R695 per month.
Loop Unlizones subscribers may buy up to two additional user-designated Loopzones where they can enjoy unlimited data.
“With the loop’s dual SIMs and new ‘smartswitching’ technology, you only have to pay for unlimited in the places you use the most data,” Rain stated.
The above packages include a free-to-use Loop, which must be returned if the subscriber cancels their service.
“If you cancel your subscription, you must return the loop in good working order, excluding reasonable wear and tear, within seven calendar days to a designated rain return point or arrange collection,” the T&Cs state.
“If you fail to return the loop within this period, Rain may charge a late return fee of R2,500 per month and ultimately a replacement fee equal to the loop’s published retail value.”
As an alternative to the free-to-use option, Rain offers the ability to buy Loop outright for R5,999, reducing the monthly fees to R250 for the “Loop Pergig” package and R450 for the “Loop Unlizones” service.
| Package | Once-off | Monthly | Anywhere gigs | Loopzones |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free-to-use (Loop must be returned upon cancellation) | ||||
| Loop pergig | — | R475 | 25GB | Open only |
| Loop unlizones | — | R675 | 10GB | Open + 1 unlizone |
| Once-off purchase | ||||
| Loop pergig | R5,999 | R250 | 25GB | Open only |
| Loop unlizones | R5,999 | R450 | 10GB | Open + 1 unlizone |
From RainX to Rain South Africa
Loop is a product of RainX, a 5G hardware research and development company established by several of Rain’s co-founders in 2023.
When the United States Department of Commerce placed Chinese technology firms like Huawei on the Entity List in 2019, it didn’t just hurt those companies and their customers. It hobbled the progress of 5G worldwide.
Rain South Africa, which had gone all-in on 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) that year, soon began to feel the sting of the U.S. trade war with China.
Progress in the development of customer-premises equipment (CPE) stagnated. Routers with 5G capabilities remained expensive, and their Wi-Fi capabilities lagged.
High-end smartphones were quick to support early versions of 5G, with the functionality soon trickling down to mid-range devices. By 2024, 5G had started becoming available on devices at entry-level price points.
However, while the prices of 5G-supported smartphones have decreased in recent months, 5G CPEs have not enjoyed similar scale or price reductions.
Rain realised years ago that the trade war could be a significant potential threat to the ongoing development of 5G FWA unless a neutral party took action.
It looked for a partner to help develop the device it needed, but could not find any suitable companies at the time.
This resulted in Rain designing and manufacturing its own 5G router, the101, which it launched in 2023.
While this initial foray into consumer electronics was successful, Rain recognised that continuously developing and manufacturing such devices was not sustainable for a telecommunications company.
Rain CEO Brandon Leigh told MyBroadband in a previous interview that they soon realised hardware was a distraction from their core mission to provide excellent and affordable broadband connectivity.
For these reasons, several of Rain’s co-founders decided to establish a new company called RainX.
“Our shareholders and partners also didn’t sign up for Rain Africa to become a crazy startup. That’s not our mandate,” Leigh said.
“There’s no business case to say, ‘Let’s go make some drones.’ Even though I think it’d be quite fun, it’s not our business as Rain South Africa.”
Driving down the price of 5G routers worldwide
RainX was incorporated in Singapore and counts three Rain co-founders among its directors — Willem Roos, Roger Grobler, and Brandon Leigh.
Leigh declined to comment on the amount invested in RainX, only saying that future funding rounds will likely occur.
Their goal with RainX is to build scale and sell products that deliver high-quality 5G fixed wireless access worldwide, with Rain South Africa being just one potential customer.
At the same time, they are hoping to drive down the price of 5G CPEs. Leigh said RainX has partnered with MediaTek to develop high-quality routers that provide customers with a good Internet experience.
Asked why they chose to incorporate RainX in Singapore, Leigh said it all came down to logistics. He explained that South Africa was too far from chipmakers and other component manufacturers.
With RainX’s global ambitions, Singapore made more sense as it would allow the company to better serve the burgeoning Southeast Asian and European markets.
“Singapore just made sense as a — for of a lack of better word — ‘neutral’ place,” Leigh said.
“With China and the US… you don’t really know what’s coming.”
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