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

      Public money, private plans: MPs demand Post Office transparency

      13 June 2025

      Coal to cash: South Africa gets major boost for energy shift

      13 June 2025

      China is behind in AI chips – but for how much longer?

      13 June 2025

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

      13 June 2025

      10 red flags for Apple investors

      13 June 2025
    • World

      Yahoo tries to make its mail service relevant again

      13 June 2025

      Qualcomm shows off new chip for AI smart glasses

      11 June 2025

      Trump tariffs to dim 2025 smartphone shipments

      4 June 2025

      Shrimp Jesus and the AI ad invasion

      4 June 2025

      Apple slams EU rules as ‘flawed and costly’ in major legal pushback

      2 June 2025
    • In-depth

      Grok promised bias-free chat. Then came the edits

      2 June 2025

      Digital fortress: We go inside JB5, Teraco’s giant new AI-ready data centre

      30 May 2025

      Sam Altman and Jony Ive’s big bet to out-Apple Apple

      22 May 2025

      South Africa unveils big state digital reform programme

      12 May 2025

      Is this the end of Google Search as we know it?

      12 May 2025
    • TCS

      TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

      8 June 2025

      TCS+ | The future of mobile money, with MTN’s Kagiso Mothibi

      6 June 2025

      TCS+ | AI is more than hype: Workday execs unpack real human impact

      4 June 2025

      TCS | Sentiv, and the story behind the buyout of Altron Nexus

      3 June 2025

      TCS | Signal restored: Unpacking the Blue Label and Cell C turnaround

      28 May 2025
    • Opinion

      Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

      2 June 2025

      South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

      2 June 2025

      Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

      29 May 2025

      Solar panic? The truth about SSEG, fines and municipal rules

      14 April 2025

      Data protection must be crypto industry’s top priority

      9 April 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • 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
      • 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 » SA will be among first to deploy 5G: director-general

    SA will be among first to deploy 5G: director-general

    By Duncan McLeod3 September 2018
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp
    Telecoms & postal services director-general Robert Nkuna

    Department of telecommunications & postal services director-general Robert Nkuna has vowed that South Africa will be among the first countries to deploy next-generation 5G networks.

    Speaking at Telkom’s Satnac conference in the Western Cape on Monday, Nkuna said government hopes to license spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for the deployment of 5G infrastructure. It wants network operators to start to build 5G networks soon after the conclusion of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) taking place in October and November 2019 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

    “We are going to the WRC in Egypt at the end of next year. This will define and finalise the 5G standards,” Nkuna said. “We are asking the private sector to lead because government has limited resources to do this. It can only work as an ecosystem, as partners.”

    In the next month, there will be a lot of steps that drive us to the finalisation of this. Licensing should have been concluded by this time next year

    “We are working with industry to prepare for the 2019 WRC,” he said. After the event, “we see South Africa being among the first countries to deploy 5G”.

    He added that his department is already working with communications regulator Icasa to determine which frequency bands will be needed for 5G. It is likely that the 3.5GHz band will be the first to be licensed.

    Other spectrum bands could be licensed even sooner. These include the so-called “digital dividend” bands at 700MHz and 800MHz, which are still occupied by analogue television broadcasters, as well as the 2.6GHz band. These three bands are well suited to expanding 4G/LTE coverage.

    Nkuna said the telecoms department has been asked to make “firm commitments” ahead of a national investment conference next month, spearheaded by President Cyril Ramaphosa. He said the president has put pressure on the department to speed up the process of licensing spectrum.

    “In the next month, there will be a lot of steps that drive us to the finalisation of this. Licensing should have been concluded by this time next year.”  — © 2018 NewsCentral Media



    Cyril Ramaphosa Icasa Robert Nkuna top WRC2019
    Subscribe to TechCentral Subscribe to TechCentral
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleMTN vows to stay in Nigeria, despite troubles
    Next Article Operators to face big hurdles for new spectrum

    Related Posts

    Up to Icasa whether Starlink gets a licence: Malatsi

    11 June 2025

    Karoo collision: Starlink vs science in South African skies

    9 June 2025

    TechCentral Nexus S0E1: Starlink, BEE and a new leader at Vodacom

    8 June 2025
    Company News

    Huawei Watch Fit 4 Series: smarter sensors, sharper design, stronger performance

    13 June 2025

    Change Logic and BankservAfrica set new benchmark with PayShap roll-out

    13 June 2025

    SAPHILA 2025 – transcending with purpose, connection and AI-powered vision

    13 June 2025
    Opinion

    Beyond the box: why IT distribution depends on real partnerships

    2 June 2025

    South Africa’s next crisis? Being offline in an AI-driven world

    2 June 2025

    Digital giants boost South African news media – and get blamed for it

    29 May 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.