Liquid Telecom South Africa, part of pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom, on Friday announced that it would establish a multi-billion rand 4G network in South Africa.
From early 2019, wholesale roaming services will be made available across its network nationwide.
“This is an exciting development which will enable us to provide mobile network operators and Internet service providers with open access to our mobile 4G network,” Liquid Telecom South Africa CEO Reshaad Sha said in a media statement.
The group will use its 1 800 MHz spectrum for the 4G network.
Liquid Telecom, which acquired Neotel from Tata Communications in February last year, has been investing across the continent where it operates Africa’s largest independent fibre network that is almost 70 000 km in length and linked to more than 600 towns and cities in 13 countries. This includes the recent completion of Liquid Telecom’s ‘Cape to Cairo’, network which represents the first direct land-based terrestrial fibre link from Cape Town to Cairo.
“This milestone builds on a remarkable year for Liquid Telecom. I am encouraged that the momentum will continue into 2019 with South African operators having access to wholesale roaming services across our network for the first time,” added Liquid Telecom group CEO Said Nic Rudnick.
He said the South African announcement capped a “busy and successful year” for the group, in which the UK’s development finance institution, CDC Group, recently invested $180-million.