DTPS planning to award 5G spectrum by September 2019

Robert Nkuna, director-general of the Department of Telecommunications and Postal Services (DTPS), has claimed that South Africa aims to be ‘among the first countries to deploy 5G networks’. TechCentral has cited the official as saying that his department is already working with telecoms regulator ICASA to determine which frequency bands will be needed for 5G, with the 3.5GHz airwave range likely to be the first to be licensed. Nkuna said the DPTS has been asked to make ‘firm commitments’ ahead of a national investment conference next month, adding: ‘In the next month, there will be a lot of steps that drive us to the finalisation of this. Licensing should have been concluded by this time next year.’ The DTPS also wants network operators to start building 5G networks soon after the conclusion of the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC), scheduled to take place in October-November 2019 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.