![[South Africa] Vodacom launches 5G network footprint in KwaZulu-Natal province](Images/Key Logos/Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal 5G roll out.png)
[South Africa] Vodacom launches 5G network footprint in KwaZulu-Natal province
Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal Region announced it is rolling-out the fastest and latest, fifth generation (5G) network in key municipal districts in KwaZulu-Natal province. The 5G network is currently available on 156 live 5G sites across the KwaZulu-Natal province and supports both mobile and fixed wireless access services.
Vodacom customers with 5G enabled devices, and within a 5G coverage area, are now able to access the new 5G network in KwaZulu-Natal. Critically, the latest mobile networking technology will ultimately help the region bridge the digital divide between the urban and rural areas of the province by extending access to affordable mobile broadband, especially as an alternative to fiber connectivity in underserviced township areas.
In May, Vodacom switched on South Africa’s first live 5G mobile network in three cities – Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. This network supports both mobile and fixed wireless services and is currently available in Gauteng and in Cape Town. Vodacom will accelerate 5G network rollout after additional 5G spectrum is auctioned at the end of March 2021.
To launch the 5G network in KwaZulu Natal, Vodacom used the temporary spectrum assigned by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), including 1x50 MHz in the 3.5 GHz, 2x10MHz and 700MHz. Vodacom has decided to use the 700 MHz band for wide scale mobile, 5G coverage and is supplementing network capacity with 3.5 GHz where required.
Balesh Sharma, CEO, Vodacom South Africa: “Vodacom now offers the widest 5G network coverage in KwaZulu-Natal and we expect to expand our national 5G footprint significantly once we get access to new spectrum. We are confident that the rollout of 5G will help us to bridge South Africa’s digital divide in the long-term by promoting digital inclusion. As a more efficient technology than its predecessors, 5G is designed to more efficiently meet the rapidly increasing connectivity requirements of modern society. The widespread rollout of 5G will support Government’s 4IR objectives in future, and will facilitate the creation of an entirely new technologically enabled world.”
As part of the first phase, the region has deployed 5G in eThekwini, Pietermaritzburg, Howick, Richards Bay, Ntuzuma, Umlazi and KwaMashu. The Vodacom KwaZulu-Natal region saw a surge in data traffic from the end of March, with accelerated growth of 40% due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Short for the ‘fifth generation’ wireless mobile network, 5G is the newest iteration of our global mobile networking standard. It promises much higher download and upload speeds, lower latency (the time it takes for a connected service to respond to your command) and far greater capacity, speed and increased coverage.
5G devices are expected to become more quickly accessible to South Africans in future. Already we are seeing the introduction of increasingly cost effective 5G enabled smartphones around the world, not just in the premium segment but also in the mid-tier segment.
