MTN has confirmed to Business Insider South Africa that it is launching its 5G network in major cities “across the country” but the exact locations are still “confidential”.
To date, only Vodacom has a 5G network in more than one region, as it is active in Cape Town, as well as Johannesburg and Pretoria. Data-only network Rain is only available in Gauteng.
The company announced this week that it is planning on launching its own 5G network at the end of the month.
MTN had initially planned to launch at the start of June, but encountered “delays in bringing some equipment into the country.”
The company has also confirmed that, like Vodacom, it will be using emergency spectrum allocated by the government to provide 5G services. In April the government allowed access to some of the radio frequency spectrum best suited to 5G on an emergency basis to help fight Covid-19. The allocation is to help the operators cope with demand. The catch is that operators only get access until November, or until the end of the state of emergency.
The company has, as yet, not indicated how it will offer 5G services that are not using the emergency spectrum allocation.
MTN outed itself in the latest issue of its Y’Ello magazine, in which it is running a promotion for 5G connectivity using Huawei’s recently launched line of P40 smartphones. Along with the LG ThinQ, these are currently the only smartphones in the country capable of using 5G services.
Technically, the pricey Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra also uses 5G, but Vodacom and MTN have not indicated whether they will support it.*
The big mobile operators have been struggling for years to get permission to use the parts of the radio spectrum best suited for 5G. The government is due to auction off blocks of the spectrum later this year.
Only two networks, Vodacom and Rain, have been able to offer 5G services, and both have achieved it by working around government regulations.
Vodacom recently announced a deal with Liquid Telecom to use their 5G network. Liquid owns the parts of the spectrum that formerly belonged to Neotel. In the case of Rain, they’re repurposing the parts of the spectrum formerly used by iBurst after they bought parent company WBS.
This article was updated to reflect MTN’s confirmation of offering 5G services across the country, the use of emergency spectrum, and the availability of another 5G-capable phone in SA, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
Are Companies Ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution?
Business leaders are currently facing two high-level challenges: the need for business model innovation and identifying how best to use the next generation of technologies.
“Typical innovation approaches will no longer be enough as we move into the digital future. Only companies that master the profound technological challenges 4IR is creating will remain relevant – and they need to do more than merely adopt technologies because their competitors are doing so. Businesses looking to survive, and thrive, need to master the technological challenges and transform them into opportunities.”
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report predicts that leaders and organisations will need to understand and learn to harness four major technologies – 5G, cloud technology, big data and AI. Firth points out that the biggest challenge for businesses today is handling the emerging business models and evolving customer expectations created by technology leaders.
“We are already seeing applications of artificial intelligence in supply chain management and customer service interactions, but the technology is still in its infancy, relatively speaking, and we have a long way to go before it delivers the value businesses and customers expect from it. That being said, companies that embrace AI and integrate it into every element of their business and technology strategies today, are the ones that will be leading the future.”
Firth adds that developing and nurturing a future-focused workforce is also essential. “Investments in technology should be synchronised with investments into people. Your people are going to use and interact with these technologies on a daily basis, so they should have the appropriate skills and knowledge to ensure that any transformation initiatives a company undertakes is successful. If a company only focuses on the technology, it is missing an opportunity to close critical skills gaps and future-proof itself.”
Almost all organisations in the future will be digital, and 60% of all global GDP will come from digital sources by 2022, according to the World Economic Forum. In light of this, Firth says that companies not keeping on top of emerging technologies and understanding how to harness their capabilities may as well already close their doors. “The coming decade will be a pivotal time for organisations to make themselves 4IR-ready. The successful businesses of the future will be the ones that can take decisions at light speed, and act on their insights equally fast,” he concludes.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
African Data Centres Association Members Offer Free Hosting to Assist During Pandemic
As the digitization of the African economy brings important benefits to the day-to-day lives of many Africans the following ADCA members offer even more help in a time of great uncertainty.
The Members joining the Covid-19 free hosting offer are GPX Global Systems from Egypt, PAIX from Ghana, Africa Data Centres from Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, N+ONE Datacenters from Morocco, Galaxy Backbone from Nigeria and Dataxion a PGH Company from Tunisia. These members will provide free hosting of up to 10 Us servers and 2 KW, for any applications aiming to fight the coronavirus in Africa for the rest of 2020.
ADCA highlights the necessity of a resilient data centres infrastructure to enable working from home in Africa and maintain business continuity while ensuring social distancing during the pandemic. It is important that the formal and informal economies can keep functioning. The solution relies on digital tools and ecosystems, all of which are underpinned by data centre infrastructure.
To read more about ADCA, click here.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
Mobile Operator MTN Plans to Launch 5G Services in South Africa by End June
MTN has confirmed to Business Insider South Africa that it is launching its 5G network in major cities “across the country” but the exact locations are still “confidential”.
To date, only Vodacom has a 5G network in more than one region, as it is active in Cape Town, as well as Johannesburg and Pretoria. Data-only network Rain is only available in Gauteng.
The company announced this week that it is planning on launching its own 5G network at the end of the month.
MTN had initially planned to launch at the start of June, but encountered “delays in bringing some equipment into the country.”
The company has also confirmed that, like Vodacom, it will be using emergency spectrum allocated by the government to provide 5G services. In April the government allowed access to some of the radio frequency spectrum best suited to 5G on an emergency basis to help fight Covid-19. The allocation is to help the operators cope with demand. The catch is that operators only get access until November, or until the end of the state of emergency.
The company has, as yet, not indicated how it will offer 5G services that are not using the emergency spectrum allocation.
MTN outed itself in the latest issue of its Y’Ello magazine, in which it is running a promotion for 5G connectivity using Huawei’s recently launched line of P40 smartphones. Along with the LG ThinQ, these are currently the only smartphones in the country capable of using 5G services.
Technically, the pricey Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra also uses 5G, but Vodacom and MTN have not indicated whether they will support it.*
The big mobile operators have been struggling for years to get permission to use the parts of the radio spectrum best suited for 5G. The government is due to auction off blocks of the spectrum later this year.
Only two networks, Vodacom and Rain, have been able to offer 5G services, and both have achieved it by working around government regulations.
Vodacom recently announced a deal with Liquid Telecom to use their 5G network. Liquid owns the parts of the spectrum that formerly belonged to Neotel. In the case of Rain, they’re repurposing the parts of the spectrum formerly used by iBurst after they bought parent company WBS.
This article was updated to reflect MTN’s confirmation of offering 5G services across the country, the use of emergency spectrum, and the availability of another 5G-capable phone in SA, the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
International Travel Provision Made for South Africans
Courtesy of Lynn Mackenzie, J.D., LLM
South Africans, under strict regulations, may now embark on International Travel. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) confirmed on May 23rd 2020, that such international travel is only permitted for the following purposes;
In order for South Africans to be approved for international travel, they must satisfy the following requirements;
Furthermore, should a group require international travel approval, one Department of Home Affairs application can be utilized, however supporting documentation must be submitted for each member of the group.
Currently, the approval process is unclear, however the expectation reins that the usual DHA processing protocols would be adhered to.
For information as to how Relocation Africa can help you with your Mobility, Immigration, Research, Remuneration, and Expat Tax needs, email info@relocationafrica.com, or call us on +27 21 763 4240.
Sources: [1], [2]. Image sources: [1], [2].
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