Vox is offering a 5G service as part of its offering for internet in the home and business services.
The internet service provider (ISP) said it had launched its 5G service on May 6. Adding to its fixed wireless offering, the company said this was “designed to provide users with high-speed connectivity and exceptional performance”.
Fibre remains SA’s most affordable, quickest and most stable form of internet access as measured per gigabyte of data. But the upfront costs for consumers — as much as R2,000 in some cases — and the lack of access in less developed parts of the country mean fibre is out of reach for many South Africans.
For now, fixed wireless is helping fill that gap. The technology typically uses an internet router or modem device that has a SIM card and can broadcast Wi-Fi signals within a home or business.
Vox appears to be using the 5G infrastructure of mobile operator MTN to underpin the service. This is in addition to Telkom, which provides part of its LTE coverage.
In recent years, the fixed wireless market has seen much competition. 5G, or the fifth generation of communications services, aims to improve quality of service and speeds, now comparable to that of fibre, and a big step up from 4G.
5G towers can connect up to 10,000 users, compared with the 200-400 offered on 4G, and serve up speeds at least 10 times faster.
In 2023, MTN’s SA business said it was bullish about gaining a bigger share of the home internet market using fixed wireless connections and technologies such as 5G to compete with fibre after falling behind on delivering fixed access to homes and businesses in recent years.
Championed access
The tie-up with Vox is helping to drive that ambition.
Competitor Rain, which launched a voice service on its network only a year ago, has championed fixed wireless access since its inception.
Unlike SIM cards on standard cellphones, operators are able to offer uncapped or unlimited internet plans using fixed wireless, helping to drive down data costs and compete with fibre.
“Our offering is designed to be competitive on both pricing and service delivery, ensuring customers can experience the exceptional speeds and capabilities of 5G within a well-developed, reliable network,” said Chris Boshoff, senior product manager at Vox.
“The value of low latency cannot be understated,” said Boshoff. “It is an essential ingredient in delivering real-time data analytics and decision-making, and it is central to the capabilities of next-generation voice, video and gaming solutions.
“Within manufacturing, it drives the functionality of industrial internet of things (IoT), for example. In business, it allows for organisations to embrace the remote or hybrid working model as employees have access to exceptional connectivity outside the office,” he said.
Vox is also hoping to capture the growing market of video gamers and e-sports that require fast and stable internet connections.