5G unlocks nothing for consumers

While Cell C does have plans to support 5G through its roaming agreements with MTN and Vodacom, it’s not in any rush, CEO Jorge Mendes told journalists on Monday.

“2G to 3G unlocked data, 3G to 4G unlocked [streaming] video, 4G to 5G unlocks nothing,” Mendes said.

The Cell C CEO, who has been in the hot seat for less than 60 days, said he isn’t knocking 5G as a technology, as it does help networks support greater volumes of traffic more efficiently.

“However, the benefits 5G unlocks for consumers is not obvious, not transparent,” he said.

While there are benefits in the enterprise market, Mendes said operators like Vodacom and MTN struggle to monetise their 5G networks at a consumer level.

Asked whether this means Vodacom and MTN are charging extra to roam on their 5G networks, Mendes said they don’t.

“It’s in their interests [not to charge more],” Mendes said, explaining that operators want as much traffic on their 5G networks as possible because it’s more efficient.