- Telkom had previously been linked to an acquisition by MTN, but this new 5G network launch potentially shows why it was unwilling to sell.
- Huawei has partnered with Telkom on this 5G network as the former seeks to develop more solutions for a range of industries and environments.
- The Telkom 5G network launch happened at Wanderers stadium, which will also serve as a venue to showcase the capabilities of the mobile broadband standard.
Telkom hosted an event in partnership with Huawei earlier today to mark the launch of the former’s 5G network in South Africa. As additional spectrum has been made available to local service providers, Telkom now joins Vodacom, MTN and Rain as 5G connectivity providers in the country.
Interestingly, a few weeks ago MTN was pushing to get a deal done to acquire Telkom, but as that deal fell through, it looks like this is one of the projects that Telkom had on the go.
It also looks like Telkom is not holding back in terms of its ambitions for the 5G network as it is eyeing the mobile broadband standard to be leveraged in a number of different industries and ecosystems.
“This next-generation network will open up new opportunities for smart cities, businesses, healthcare, manufacturing and autonomous vehicles… 5G offers manufacturers the chance to build smart operations and truly take advantage of technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, augmented reality for troubleshooting, and the Internet of Things (IoT),” the service provider noted in a press release sent to Hypertext.
“Although 5G stands head and shoulders above 4G and LTE through faster and more reliable connection it provides, however it was critical for us to make sure that our existing 4G ecosystem remains strong whilst introducing 5G into the market,” added Lunga Siyo (pictured above), CEO of Telkom Consumer and Business.
Telkom says it has been hard at work over the past 24 months, working to build its 5G network capacity to one with a national footprint.
“At launch Telkom will primarily focus on providing superfast 5G Fixed Wireless Access solutions, as the demand for mobile 5G increases, we will supplement this with suitable mobile propositions. We are excited to offer our consumers even faster internet speeds that will greatly enhance their home and business digital experiences through the improved network responsiveness,” explained Siyo.
As for Huawei’s part it is assisting on many fronts to bring the Telkom 5G network to fruition, with the most visible likely being 5G-supporting routers and other CPEs that will be deployed in households and small businesses during the early phases of the network’s rollout.
“5G, with its ultra-high-speed and low-latency, will support new services for South African consumers, like online AR/VR gaming and UHD streaming; it will also enable businesses with cloud and AI technologies. Huawei, as Telkom’s, strategic partner, will not only help to build 5G networks but is also committed to supporting Telkom achieve business success in the 5G era,” noted Fortune Wang (also pictured above), director of Huawei South Africa, Carrier Business.
“We look forward to creating opportunities for consumers and business, beyond connectivity, into intelligent digital services,” he concluded.
Lastly worth mentioning is the choice of venue for the launch, with DP World Wanderers Stadium collaborating with Telkom to showcase what 5G connectivity can deliver, along with helping on the certain technologies.
With the 5G network have only just been launched, we will need to wait to see what the coming weeks and months brings in terms of packages, speeds and availability from Telkom.
