JOHANNESBURG — South African telecommunications operator Telkom has launched its 5G high-speed internet network using technology from China’s Huawei Technologies, the companies said Thursday.
Partly state-owned Telkom joins bigger rivals Vodacom and MTN and a smaller shower of peers in the race for 5G as it seeks to boost its fast-growing mobile data and fixed broadband businesses, in a context of growing demand for broadband.
“The COVID pandemic has brought about significant lifestyle changes for South Africans, due to working from home or home schooling, online shopping and a kind of “always on” culture. said Fortune Wang, Carrier Business Director for Huawei South Africa.
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5G, with its ultra-high speed and low latency, will support new services for South African consumers, such as online augmented reality and virtual reality gaming and ultra-high definition streaming, while enabling businesses to have cloud and artificial intelligence technologies, Wang added.
“At launch, Telkom will primarily focus on providing ultra-fast 5G fixed wireless access solutions, as the demand for 5G mobile increases, we will complement this with tailored mobile proposals,” said Lunga Siyo, General Manager of Telkom Consumer and Business.
Shunned in the northern hemisphere for security reasons, which Huawei has denied, the Chinese company dominates in Africa as an equipment supplier to many telecom operators.
(Report by Nqobile Dludla Editing by Bernadette Baum)