Liquid Telecom to launch first 5G wholesale roaming network service in South Africa

Liquid Telecom to launch first 5G wholesale roaming network service in South Africa
Access to ultra-fast roaming network will enable network operators to create innovative, reliable and scalable digital services for their customers

Johannesburg, January 20, 2020 – Leading pan-African telecoms group Liquid Telecom is to launch the first 5G wholesale roaming service in South Africa. Available from early 2020 in all major South African cities, this latest fifth generation of mobile internet connectivity will enable wholesale operators to create innovative, ultra-fast and scalable digital services for their customers.

The 5G wholesale network will also help accelerate the evolution of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in South Africa. Reliable connectivity up to 10 times faster than 4G will allow businesses to harness trends such as the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) to innovate transformative new services, increase productivity and deliver more connected customer experiences.

 “This breakthrough 5G wholesale service will create innovation in every aspect of South African society and industry,” says Strive Masiyiwa, Chairman, Liquid Telecom. “For the first time, mobile network operators and ISPs will have open access to Liquid Telecom’s new 5G mobile network. The launch of the service also underscores Liquid Telecom’s vision to bring high-speed connectivity to everyone.”

Liquid Telecom will use its 3.5GHz spectrum asset to build the 5G network and provide nationwide 5G wholesale services to the market early in 2020.

One of the most profound implications of the new service will be its impact on South Africa’s 4IR ambitions, where connected devices communicate with each other, automating the factory floor without the need for human intervention. The fusion of 5G, IoT and other technologies like AI and robotics will touch and transform every facet of business, creating entirely new ways of serving existing needs.

“This is a milestone moment for Liquid Telecom South Africa,” said Nic Rudnick, Group CEO. “Our wholesale operating partners can exploit our new ultra-fast 5G roaming network to build the next generation of communications and make innovation possible, anytime, anywhere. 5G will facilitate real-time remote collaboration, improved business efficiency and lower costs – ultimately driving growth in the South African economy.”

The launch of the 5G wholesale roaming service is another step towards Liquid Telecom ‘Building Africa’s digital future’. The organisation has been investing heavily across the continent where it operates Africa’s largest independent fibre network, spanning almost 70,000km length.

About Liquid Telecom

Liquid Telecom is a leading communications solutions provider across 13 countries primarily in Eastern, Southern and South Africa that serves mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media and content companies and retail customers with high-speed, reliable connectivity, hosting and co-location and digital services.

 It has built Africa’s largest independent fibre network, approaching 70,000km, and operates state-of-the-art data centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Nairobi, with a combined potential 19,000 square metres of rack space and 78 MW of power.

This is in addition to offering leading cloud-based services, such as Microsoft Office365 and Microsoft Azure across our fibre footprint. Through this combined offering Liquid Telecom is enhancing customers’ experience on their digital journey. In October 2019, Liquid Telecom was recognised as ‘The Best African Wholesale Carrier’ for the 8th consecutive year at the Global Carrier Awards. www.liquidtelecom.com