Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News

      The 1940s visionary who imagined the Information Age

      14 July 2025

      Trump tariffs could wreck South Africa’s vehicle manufacturing industry

      14 July 2025

      Microsoft South Africa to get new MD as Lillian Barnard moves to regional role

      14 July 2025

      Zuckerberg used open source to scale AI – now the lock-in begins

      14 July 2025

      South Africa begins complex job of overhauling media laws

      13 July 2025
    • World

      Grok 4 arrives with bold claims and fresh controversy

      10 July 2025

      Bitcoin pushes higher into record territory

      10 July 2025

      Cupertino vs Brussels: Apple challenges Big Tech crackdown

      7 July 2025

      Grammarly acquires e-mail start-up Superhuman

      1 July 2025

      Apple considers ditching its own AI in Siri overhaul

      1 July 2025
    • In-depth

      Siemens is battling Big Tech for AI supremacy in factories

      24 June 2025

      The algorithm will sing now: why musicians should be worried about AI

      20 June 2025

      Meta bets $72-billion on AI – and investors love it

      17 June 2025

      MultiChoice may unbundle SuperSport from DStv

      12 June 2025

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025
    • TCS

      TCS+ | MVNX on the opportunities in South Africa’s booming MVNO market

      11 July 2025

      TCS | Connecting Saffas – Renier Lombard on The Lekker Network

      7 July 2025

      TechCentral Nexus S0E4: Takealot’s big Post Office jobs plan

      4 July 2025

      TCS | Tech, townships and tenacity: Spar’s plan to win with Spar2U

      3 July 2025

      TCS+ | First Distribution on the latest and greatest cloud technologies

      27 June 2025
    • Opinion

      In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

      30 June 2025

      E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

      30 June 2025

      South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

      17 June 2025

      AI and the future of ICT distribution

      16 June 2025

      Singapore soared – why can’t we? Lessons South Africa refuses to learn

      13 June 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Wipro
      • Workday
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Fintech
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » News » Comsol launches 5G network in Soweto

    Comsol launches 5G network in Soweto

    By Duncan McLeod7 September 2018
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    Comsol Networks, a telecommunications business backed by Andile Ngcaba’s Convergence Partners, has launched the first 5G network in Soweto.

    Using the company’s spectrum in the 28GHz radio spectrum frequency band, Comsol on Friday took the wraps off the trial network, built in partnership with Samsung Electronics, showcasing download speeds of up to 1.8Gbit/s.

    The fixed-wireless (as opposed to mobile) 5G network will provide free Internet access to a range of facilities and businesses, including restaurants, on Soweto’s famous Vilakazi Street. People can visit the area and test the technology at least until the end of the year.

    Comsol CEO Iain Stevenson said the company plans to launch a commercial 5G network in South Africa with Samsung by the end of 2019.

    The Soweto trial will run until December using Comsol’s large chunk of contiguous spectrum at 28GHz, one of the frequency bands identified for 5G deployments. The band is well suited for fixed-wireless deployments.

    The Vilakazi Street pilot network draws on Samsung’s 5G solutions, with Dark Fibre Africa providing fibre backhaul and MWeb acting as the Internet service provider. It consists of two 5G fixed-wireless base stations connected to 10Gbit/s fibre backhaul connections (and backed up with microwave backhaul).

    The launch of the pilot comes two weeks after Vodacom said it had become the first operator in Africa to launch a standards-based, commercial 5G network. It launched the network in Lesotho, where the telecoms regulator gave it access to 5G spectrum in the 3.5GHz band. It said it is unable to launch 5G services in South Africa until it is given access to additional spectrum.  – © 2018 NewsCentral Media



    Andile Ngcaba Comsol Comsol Networks Iain Stevenson top Vodacom
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleFintech seen adding $150-billion to Africa’s GDP
    Next Article Jack Ma set to step down from Alibaba

    Related Posts

    Spam call epidemic: operators say their hands are tied

    10 July 2025

    Vodacom, Maziv deal now looks likely after CompCom U-turn

    8 July 2025

    Sasol, Vodacom team up to modernise Secunda operations

    4 July 2025
    Company News

    Banking on LEO: Q-KON transforms financial services connectivity

    14 July 2025

    The future of business calling: Voys brings your landline to the cloud

    14 July 2025

    How digital twins and AI are shaping the future of security

    14 July 2025
    Opinion

    In defence of equity alternatives for BEE

    30 June 2025

    E-commerce in ICT distribution: enabler or disruptor?

    30 June 2025

    South Africa pioneered drone laws a decade ago – now it must catch up

    17 June 2025

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    © 2009 - 2025 NewsCentral Media

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.