Tech enthusiasts have been talking about the successor of 4G; 5G. Currently, the technology is new and is being rolled out in major markets such as the US, China, UK and South Korea.
Other developing nations are far from it because, if we are being honest, 4G is still growing in some regions, including Kenya where Safaricom achieved a relatively country-wide roll out in late 2019.
Therefore, it will take some time before we actually start seeing 5G signals, bearing in mind that the investment itself is complex and is subject to regulatory approval.
However, it would be naïve to assume that some major African carriers are not testing the service, having got wind of a similar development by Kenya’s Safaricom.
As we wait for any noteworthy development, Liquid Telecom says it will deploy its tools to accelerate South Africa’s adoption of 5G by whole-selling 5G roaming services.
This development is said to support the evolution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) that will see 5G bolster the offerings of trends such as IoT, AI, and robotics, to mention a few.
Liquid will use 3.3 GHz spectrum assets to develop the 5G network ad sell nationwide wholesale services to SA.
The sale of the roaming services will start sometime this year in all SA’s major cities, and will reportedly help operators create innovative, fast and scalable digital services and products.
The firm has been expanding its reach in Africa, having connected East Africa and West Africa with a single undersea cable in late 2019 for the first time.
Liquid’s fibre network is also expansive and stretches up to 70,000 km in length in the continent.
“This breakthrough 5G wholesale service will create innovation in every aspect of South African society and industry,” says Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman, Liquid Telecom. “For the first time, mobile network operators and ISPs will have open access to Liquid Telecom’s new 5G mobile network. The launch of the service also underscores Liquid Telecom’s vision to bring high-speed connectivity to everyone.”
