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South Africa plans to roll out a 5G, 6GHz spectrum similar to New Zealand and other big tech countries. The question is, how will it compare to New Zealand?

The issue is that South Africa is still somewhat limited in implementing it across the spectrum. 

Read on to learn why.

Problems with Allocating Spectrum

In South Africa, there is a passionate debate going on about the 6GHz spectrum.

The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) has already handed out the lower 6GHz band (5.925–6.425 GHz) for indoor, low-power WiFi purposes only. Some people are happy; others are moaning it isn’t enough. 

It depends what you’re using it for. The average consumer is likely to be happy with 5G as it currently stands. It has made a notable impact for smartphone usage. One case that stands out is the iGaming industry. The innovation of new games like live dealer roulette and poker – in addition to in-play betting at sports books – has brought to players a new ‘real time’ world of gaming. Consumers are happy with this kind of new support to access new services and products.

For business operations, though, 5G and lower-band 6G might not be quite powerful enough. Here, It’s only the lower band and is limited to WiFi. This move aimed to relieve some pressure from WiFi networks, which have been starved for spectrum despite their great success.

However, things get tricky with the upper 6 GHz band. Supporters of unlicensed WiFi argue it should remain open to broadening connections, while advocates for 5G insist it should be allocated to mobile services instead. The problem with dedicating this band to 5G lies in its significant technical challenges: higher frequencies, such as those found within the range of 6 GHz, suffer from poorer building penetration and reduced range, which makes them more tricky to work with practically.

New Zealand’s Rollout of 5G

New Zealand has taken a more methodical approach towards allocating the 5G spectrum than South Africa.

To ensure nationwide coverage for their new fifth-generation network, the government of New Zealand has distributed frequencies within the 3.5 GHz band to major local telecommunications operators like Spark, 2 Degrees, and One New Zealand. This particular allocation also consists of clauses formulated specifically for enhancing rural connectivity to bridge the digital divide across countries.

Potential future expansions in the 24–30 GHz range are being considered by New Zealand authorities. These improvements could provide faster speeds alongside increased capacity, making it possible that more users will eventually benefit from such an advanced network connection.

Technical and Practical Issues

One of the main technical challenges associated with deploying 5G networks over the 6 GHz band is that it requires new IMT chipsets and other equipment, which are currently not produced at scale. Manufacturing these components would be expensive and time-consuming, so manufacturers may not find any commercial sense in investing in regions where WiFi is available. As a result, some European countries and Africa have opposed giving away the upper part of 6GHz for 5G services due to a lack of available chipsets.

New Zealand’s current focus on the 3.5 GHz band eliminates these obstacles as it is supported by existing 5G technology and infrastructure.

Potential Advantages vs. Disadvantages

Reserving the upper part of the 6GHz band for unlicensed WiFi access in South Africa could greatly enhance connectivity, especially in densely populated areas where WiFi serves as the backbone of communication. However, there have been successful deployments made across America and South Korea where users experienced better connections without any interference problems caused by introducing 5th-generation networks into this frequency range.

The cautious phased approach taken up by South Africa ensures limited use of higher frequencies until later when corresponding technologies mature and supporting infrastructure gets built. This way, there is minimal risk associated with deploying unproven systems.

South Africa and New Zealand are encountering different challenges and prospects. The worldwide eavesdropping argument between WiFi and 5G needs is mirrored in South African discussions about the 6GHz spectrum. Nevertheless, it should be noted that, on the other hand, there exists a methodical plan followed by New Zealand that provides a roadmap for the fair and inclusive deployment of 5G in their country. South Africa should take note.