MTN South Africa will take the wraps off its plans for its 5G network next week, becoming the first of the telecommunications group’s 22 operations to launch the next-generation broadband technology.

The company is hosting a live event on its YouTube channel on 30 June, it said on Wednesday. The event will be hosted by CEO Godfrey Motsa, chief consumer officer Mapula Bodibe and chief technology & information officer Giovanni Chiarelli.

Rival Vodacom South Africa launched a commercial 5G network in May, though with limited coverage for now.

Vodacom used a temporary spectrum assignment from communications regulator Icasa to launch the network, though it also has a roaming agreement with Liquid Telecom, which will allow is to continue offering 5G to consumers even if there is a gap between when the temporary spectrum has to be returned and when Icasa concludes a planned spectrum auction.

The Vodacom 5G network was launched in selected suburbs in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town — with further roll-outs planned in other parts of the country, it said.

Source: NewsCentral Media