According to local reports, the operator has struck deals to offer a free LTE trial to customers across the Gauteng region between November 1 2012 and March 31 2013.
Following a year of internal LTE tests, Telkom’s mobile arm is set to launch 4G services on a limited trial basis, and the move is seen as particularly significant for the technological development of the region.
The trial will include giving customers a 50G data bundle and an LTE enabled device, which has the capability of serving 32 Wifi enabled devices simultaneously.
“We are excited about this milestone reached and we believe that this trial is a critical step in taking a new technology like this to market,” said Amith Maharaj, senior managing executive for Telkom Mobile.
Telkom South Africa’s rivalling operators in South Africa, Vodacom and MTN, have also been trialling LTE technology for roll-out in the next three months.
Vodacom claims its network will be 100% LTE ready within the next year and according to media reports, the launch of the service is imminent in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
MTN also began trialling LTE last year, and is on track for an urban roll-out by the end of the year.
