Vodacom, in collaboration with infrastructure provider Nokia and smartphone maker LG, has showcased “Africa’s first live, 5G data session on a commercial readymade 5G mobile phone and network.
This happened at one of South Africa’s biggest horseracing events, the Durban July.
The trio performed the demo using the LG V50 ThinQ 5G smartphone and was carried using Nokia’s AirScale 5G radio network tech.
The Nokia Airscale 5G radio network solution uses an active antenna; with 128 antenna elements to deliver the latest 5G Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output technologies.
It also supports the latest 5G new radio technology and can support concurrent 4G and 5G operation on the same radio.
Quoting Deon Geyser from Nokia:
“We are proud to be part of this Africa-first feat with Vodacom, and are committed to supporting the operator in bringing 5G services to the nation,”.
The chief technology officer at Vodacom, Andries Delport, explained that the company has once again demonstrated what is possible when using 5G technology as they did at the event.
Quoting him:
“Although we are still awaiting the allocation of 5G spectrum to launch the technology in South Africa, the future truly is exciting when we consider what we might be able to achieve once the requisite spectrum becomes available”.
Also speaking, the mobile General Manager at LG in South Africa, says Deon Prinsloo stressed that
“LG is very focused on expanding its leadership in 5G by introducing leading-edge devices and forging customer-oriented collaborations with carrier partners such as Vodacom”.
“The introduction of 5G in South Africa is sure to improve people’s lives and will contribute to jobs, entrepreneurship, and create overall economic opportunities.
“Strong collaborations will be required to accelerate 5G commercialization on the continent, and LG is ready to be a key player when 5G service becomes widely available in the region. Once the spectrum is allocated, LG will introduce a range of leading 5G mobile phones ready to usher in a new era of connectivity in Africa.”
