From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, this is the Real Economy Report.

Sashnee Moodley:

As part of a pilot phase, enterprise-grade wireless infrastructure provider Comsol Networks and mobile, television & appliances giant Samsung South Africa partnered to launch fifth-generation communications in Soweto. Natasha Odendaal tells us more.

Natasha Odendaal:

Soweto’s Vilakazi street is now lit up with a live 5G pilot network, leveraging Comsol’s vast access to 28 GHz spectrum.

The pilot network was officially switched on mid-September at an official launch in Soweto, with tested peak downlink speeds of 1.75 Gb/s. Comsol chairperson Andile Ngcaba tells us more.

Comsol chairperson Andile Ngcaba:

Natasha Odendaal:

Samsung is providing the end-to-end 5G fixed-wireless access solutions, comprising 5G outdoor routers and 5G radio featuring millimetre wave radio frequency integrated circuit technologies and application-specific integrated circuit-based 5G modems. Samsung South Africa president and CEO Sung Yoon explains further.

Samsung South Africa president and CEO Sung Yoon:

Natasha Odendaal:

The partners intend launching commercial 5G services to businesses and consumers in certain areas before the end of 2019 as they expand into the 5G network industry. Comsol chairperson Andile Ngcaba tells us more.

Comsol chairperson Andile Ngcaba:

Natasha Odendaal:

The Vilakazi street pilot network draws on Samsung’s 5G solutions and Dark Fibre Africa’s fibre backhaul, while MWeb is the Internet service provider.

While 5G broadly defines the forthcoming evolution of mobile networks over a wide range of frequencies, this specific pilot network is 5G fixed-wireless access, which promises to deliver high-quality, high-speed bandwidth services and low latency to complement existing fibre deployments.

Sashnee Moodley:

That’s Creamer Media’s Real Economy Report. Join us again next week for more news and insight into South Africa’s real economy.