Comsol Networks Pty Ltd. is raising billions of rand [1] in debt and equity to build a wholesale 5G-Advanced network across South Africa.
The project aims to fill a critical infrastructure gap where the government has been unable to deliver broadband services. By creating an open-access network, Comsol intends to meet the country's growing demand for high-speed internet through fixed wireless access.
Led by Chief Executive Officer Iain Stevenson, the company is deploying a network that will include approximately 2,000 base stations [2]. The build process began roughly six months ago [4]. Comsol is prioritizing the Gauteng province, where the network already covers more than 1,000,000 households [3].
The company targets full coverage of Gauteng by March 2027 [3]. Following the initial rollout in the province, the expansion will move into the Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, and other regional centers [5]. Comsol expects the nationwide deployment to be completed by the end of 2028 [2].
As a wholesale provider, Comsol will not sell directly to consumers. Instead, it will provide the underlying infrastructure that other internet service providers can use to offer 5G services to the public. This open-access model is designed to lower the barrier to entry for smaller providers, and increase competition in the home broadband market [6].
The funding for the multi-billion rand initiative comes from new shareholders and debt instruments [1]. This capital injection supports the transition to 5G-Advanced technology, which offers higher speeds and better reliability than standard 5G deployments [6].
“Comsol Networks is raising billions of rand to build a wholesale 5G-Advanced network across South Africa.”
The entry of a wholesale, open-access provider into the South African market could break the dominance of established telecommunications giants. By decoupling the ownership of the physical infrastructure from the retail service, Comsol allows smaller ISPs to compete on price and service quality without the prohibitive cost of building their own towers. This shift is a direct response to public-sector failures in broadband delivery and signals a move toward private-sector-led national infrastructure.
