Fibre internet service provider Cool Ideas has launched a 5G fixed-wireless broadband service, piggybacking on Vodacom’s infrastructure and offering 1TB of high-speed data for R899/month.

Technically uncapped, the wireless internet plans offer a range of speeds and “fair use” soft data caps, which, once used up, will see users reduced to a 1Mbit/s connection for the rest of the billing month.

According to Cool Ideas, the monthly plans include the following line speeds and soft data caps:

10Mbit/s and 200GB: R199
20Mbit/s and 300GB: R259
50Mbit/s and 450GB: R359
100Mbit/s and 600GB: R559
Maximum available network speed and 1TB: R899

Speeds are dependent on the capabilities of the user’s 5G router and available capacity on the nearest 5G (or 4G/LTE) tower. The service can only be used with Vodacom-approved routers, Cool Ideas said. A router is not included in the price.

Fixed 5G is also locked to a physical location and internet access is disabled if the user moves without updating the service’s location.

Cool Ideas said the service is unshaped, meaning it can be used for any type of internet activity, including file transfers and peer-to-peer downloads.

Vodacom’s partnership with Cool Ideas comes as operators worldwide struggle to recover the costs of their 5G network deployments, with consumers finding older, 4G/LTE connections sufficient for most everyday applications – including high-definition streaming and gaming. As of March 2025, Vodacom had about 3 100 5G sites around South Africa.

Mobile operators are finding niche use cases in the fixed-wireless home internet and enterprise markets, where 5G’s enhanced capacity is desirable and higher connectivity charges are justifiable, TechCentral reported in July.

In the home, 5G acts as an alternative to fibre. Households generally connect many devices, including laptops, PCs, smart TVs and other internet-capable home appliances.

5G fixed-wireless

Fibre makes the most sense in the home scenario because of its higher network capacity, speed and reliability; however, less than 30% of South African homes have fibre passing them in the street.

There are also instances where, even though fibre to the home is available, tenants who rent feel more comfortable having a mobile solution that they can easily take with them should they need to move. This is where 5G fixed-wireless access shines.

“The killer use case for 5G in the consumer segment is fixed-wireless access,” MTN South Africa told TechCentral in July.

Read: South Africa’s telcos battle to monetise 5G as 4G suffices for most

But it’s not only homeowners who are drawn to 5G in the consumer segment. Small and medium-sized businesses also enjoy the benefits of a fibre-like experience through mobile broadband.

According to Vodacom, the demand for and popularity of 5G among consumers will rise as new use cases, currently under development, become the norm rather than the exception. These include mobile augmented reality, virtual reality and smart homes powered by the internet of things.

And in the enterprise market, Vodacom, MTN and Telkom have seen demand for private enterprise 5G networks, where the technology enables IoT-driven solutions in the manufacturing and mining environments. Vodacom described 5G as a “key enabler” for enterprise customers. – Additional reporting by Nkosinathi Ndlovu, © 2025 NewsCentral Media