[dropcap]I[/dropcap]nternet Solutions said on Monday that it has reached an agreement with Rain (formerly Wireless Business Solutions) to offer Internet service providers access to the latter’s 4G/LTE-Advanced wireless broadband network.
IS will act as Rain’s “open access” go-to-market partner for its fixed LTE-A product, IS said in a statement on its website.
“Targeting local ISPs whose customers will benefit from fibre-like mobile connectivity, Internet Solutions and Rain anticipate that offering competitively priced access to LTE-A will present local ISPs with new growth opportunities,” the company, which is owned by Dimension Data, said in the statement.
The move comes as Rain aggressively rolls out a national LTE-A network. LTE-A is also sometimes referred to as 4G+. The company was acquired in 2015 by Multisource, with backing from top former bankers Michael Jordaan and Paul Harris.
Rain’s LTE-A network consists of 750 active base stations, with the company targeting 2 000 deployed sites by the end of the year. It will grow this to 5 000 by 2018, ultimately growing to 10 000 sites.
Rain CEO Duncan Simpson-Craib said the company has partnered with IS to deliver its fixed-wireless broadband service, which it calls “Rain to the Home”, or RttH, as a fibre or DSL alternative.
“Internet Solutions will offer service providers access to the network in a manner that benefits South African ISPs, businesses and, ultimately, consumers. We believe that the use of our companies’ respective strengths will best benefit the market,” said Simpson-Craib.
“Rain is ready to roll out future wireless technologies like LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G when they become available in the coming years.”
IS MD Saki Missaikos said the deal should help bring local ISPs “one step closer to offering their customers ubiquitous access to the Internet”. — (c) 2017 NewsCentral Media
