Rain to launch country-wide 4G and 5G mobile services

Rain founder and director Michael Jordaan revealed that it would launch country-wide mobile services.

Speaking on PSG Think Big, Jordaan said they would start with 4G, but it will ultimately also include 5G services.

“The packages have not been announced yet, but they will be very attractive,” Jordaan said.

Rain currently offers 4G mobile products and fixed-wireless broadband access on 4G and 5G in areas where it has coverage.

The country-wide mobile launch points to a roaming partnership with one of the mobile operators, but Jordaan did not provide details on this issue.

However, he did say that the additional spectrum made available through the spectrum auction last year has helped it to improve its coverage.

Rain successfully acquired 30 MHz of additional spectrum for R1.15 billion during the spectrum auction – 2×10 MHz in the 700 MHz bands and 10 MHz in the 2,600 MHz band.

“Spectrum is the lifeblood of telecommunications. It is not possible to run a mobile network without the right spectrum,” he said.

Spectrum makes it possible to significantly increase network capacity without spending additional money on network infrastructure.

“The advantage of getting additional spectrum is that we will be able to cover much more of South Africa much faster,” Jordaan said.

“We will be able to bring Rain’s affordable, unlimited data products to many more South Africans.”

A country-wide 4G, and ultimately 5G, mobile launch from Rain will put pressure on its competitors – Vodacom, MTN, Cell C, and Telkom.

With legacy products and millions of customers on expensive data products, it will be difficult for the big operators to match Rain’s uncapped pricing.