JSE-listed Vodacom Group has launched a standards-based, commercial fifth-generation (5G) service in Lesotho.

Delivering early access to the new technology, using 3.5 GHz spectrum, the company will initially provide fixed-wireless access broadband services to two enterprise customers in Lesotho.

“Vodacom prides itself on being a market leader and we are extremely pleased to be first to deliver 5G services to customers in Africa,” says Vodacom group CEO Shameel Joosub, adding that entrepreneurs, industry shapers and government will be able to work with Vodacom to develop and incubate innovative applications to power digital transformation in Lesotho.

This technology enables quicker deployment of broadband services with fibrelike speeds.

“What we have accomplished in Lesotho is an example of what can be achieved in Africa, should the requisite spectrum also be made available,” he says.

Vodacom Lesotho has been assigned spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band, which enables the launch of a commercial 5G service.

However, with 3.5 GHz spectrum currently still unavailable in South Africa, the same standards-based 5G technology that has already been launched in the country cannot yet be made commercially available.

Vodacom South Africa has been granted a temporary spectrum licence of 100 MHz in the 3.5 GHz band to showcase the 5G network capabilities.

The group’s service in South Africa delivers speeds in excess of 700 Mb/s, which will surpass 1 Gb/s as new software versions and devices become available, and latencies of less than 10 milliseconds.

“Vodacom will be able to make 5G services available to its customers in South Africa once requisite spectrum is assigned.

“Global technological advancements are evolving at a rapid pace and South Africa cannot afford to be left behind, particularly when we look at some of the potential use cases for 5G to support the critical sectors of our society, such as healthcare and education,” Joosub stresses.