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Fixed-wireless access through 5.5G, or 5G-Advanced, promises much faster speeds but demands more spectrum.

South African networks need more spectrum for 5.5G

South African networks need more spectrum for 5.5G

https://techcentral.co.za

Vino Govender CM (SA)

Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, Bester Technologies

1mo

The speeds and feeds positioning continues to be the basis of lobbying. I think we should rather shift the positioning to the real socio economic impact that data as a utility is going to have in our market of South Africa. Once again we hear how fibre and mobile technolgies are converging. If that is the case, we should then use the most appropriate technologies and efficient technologies and to provide affordable access to the respective market segments. We should then shift our focus and efforts on developing applications on top of yhe networks that benefit us socially and economically. I spend alot of time travelling to rural areas on fishing trips the reality is that coverage, capacity and services are poor. Rather that focussing on 5,5G, start using the spectrum that was recently awarded to improving rural capacity and coverage. In away, this also allures to why Vodacom was chasing Maziv, to participate in the revenue shift off mobile to fibre?

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Themba Phiri, MPA, TPRM (WITS BS), M.Inst.D

Managing Executive & Information Officer @ Cell C Limited,

1mo

Mr Zoltan Miklos makes some valid point and the need for additional need for spectrum for 5.5G to accelerate competition with fibre network providers. Both government and ICASA should be alive to this technology spectrum demand. As it is often said. 5G and 6G technologies are spectrum hungry. Demand for data services has surged further with the launching of MVNO challenger brands. So, we policy makers and the regulator need to plan for the future needs and start implementation without delay.

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Charley Lewis

Former Councillor, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, current consultant and Adjunct Professor, UWC

1w

Sure. The demo was impressive, but what are the use cases? And where is the uptake demand? The UK's CMA has already found that consumers attach 0% value to 5G vanilla vs LTE...

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Spectrum is critical for mass-deployment of FWA for sure. But what about network fibre backbone, and core, hence cost and return, particularly in rural areas.

Charley Lewis

Former Councillor, Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, current consultant and Adjunct Professor, UWC

1mo

Impressive speeds, although I'm a little sceptical of the likely market uptake for VR/AR and holographic conferencing...

Tim Genders

Connecting those others are neglecting

3w

We need open spectrum to be allocated to SMMEs who will connect their communities at market related rates. We don’t need spectrum locked up in large corporations who will only charge the consumers more for the privilege they had to lock out the competition

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Impresive inputs Mr. Miklos… great achievements

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