South African operator Rain has partnered with Nokia to deploy 5G in the country.
The full network deployment is set to start in the first quarter of 2019, and services are expected to launch mid-2019 when standards-based 5G NR devices become available in the country.
As part of rain’s 5G project Nokia will deploy its AirScale radio access network solution in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Kwa-Zulu Natal as well as the Mangaung (Bloemfontein) regions. AirScale offers a new modular way of building radio access networks that deliver services with high capacity scaling and low latency. The company will also provide professional services for the deployment of the solution.
Marc Rouanne, President of Mobile Networks, Nokia
Nokia believes that 5G will change the connectivity landscape in South Africa and the entire continent. It will connect the unconnected and reshape services such as education and health, with the introduction of more connected things.
Willem Roos, CEO, Rain
With existing access to 5G spectrum and the launch of the first 5G sites, rain is set to take the market by storm. rain is proud to be on the forefront of 5G worldwide and working with Nokia and other partners to connect as many South African as possible with affordable high-speed broadband services.
