Rain announces plans for ‘ultra-broadband’ 5G service in South Africa

Get ready to hear about 5G a lot more in the coming months. The latest company to make use of the term is data-only network Rain.

The company today announced  that it will launch a 5G wireless network in South Africa, this after it launched its 4G data service to consumers in June.

5G is a blanket term to describe the fifth generation of mobile communications, and includes lower latency, faster transfer speeds, and the ability to “differentiate between fixed and mobile devices” and adjust internet connection requirements accordingly.

The service, which will demonstrate its network in Cape Town in November, will “provide ultra-broadband services to homes and SMEs”.

“The network will provide fibre-like speeds without the installation complexities, time delays and cost of laying fibre in under-serviced areas,” the company added.

For those who love the term “spectrum”, Rain will use the 3.6GHz band, which falls within its current allocated spectrum.

“This approach of sharing facilities and leveraging existing infrastructure will enable rain to rollout the 5G network in a quick and cost-effective manner,” it added.

Feature image: Rain