South Africa’s latest dynamic spectrum breakthrough is set to revolutionise internet access for millions and close the digital divide For a country where connectivity gaps still leave millions behind, that shift couldn’t have come at a better time, says the writer, Paul Colmer, pictured at a testing site with CSIR chief researcher Luzangu Mfupe. The digital divide in South Africa just got its most credible solution yet. After years of planning, trials and technical validation, dynamic spectrum sharing has moved from regulatory aspiration to proven reality – and it happened faster than anyone in the industry expected.
In late January 2026, stakeholders gathered in KwaZulu-Natal to witness the culmination of field trials that could fundamentally reshape how millions of South Africans access the internet. The successful deployment of 5G networks using dynamically allocated spectrum in both Ntuzuma and Ixopo demonstrated something the industry has been pursuing for over a decade: a reliable, cost-effective pathway to bringing high-speed internet to underserved and rural communities. The implications are massive.
We’re not talking about incremental improvements to existing infrastructure. This is a paradigm shift in how spectrum – the most valuable and scarce resource in wireless communications – can be shared dynamically to maximise its utility and reach. Having worked with communications regulator Icasa on spectrum initiatives for years, I can tell you this level of speed and efficiency is unprecedented.
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The regulator deserves huge credit for moving this technology from concept to field-tested reality in record time. The journey began with TV white-space trials, funded by a US$1-million grant from the US, which the Wireless Access Providers Association (Wapa) operated under an Icasa trial licence. Shortly after the pandemic, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) opened TV white space as unlicensed spectrum and then published its intention to enable dynamic spectrum access (DSA) in two critical bands: the lower 6GHz range (5.925-6.425GHz) and the 3.8-4.2GHz band.
The technical heavy lifting fell to the CSIR, with chief researcher Luzangu Mfupe designing the universal access spectrum switch – the database that enables radios to operate without interfering with fixed satellite services sharing the same spectrum. Mfupe, who also designed the TV white space secondary geolocation database, brought deep expertise to ensuring the system could work in the real world, not just in theory. The field trials themselves were led by Icasa councillor Thabisa Faye, with support from Icasa’s technical and field teams.
Two wireless internet service providers (Wisps) – AdNotes, led by executive chairman Nkosinathi Mbele, and AfricaITA, represented by director Njabulo Hadebe of LeadUp Solutions – installed and operated the trial networks. The two-day stakeholder site visit in January took place during what locals described as two of the hottest, most humid days in recorded regional history. Despite the conditions, the technology performed beyond expectations.
At both sites, 5G radios operating in the 3.8-4.2GHz band delivered download speeds up to 200Mbit/s direct to compatible cellular handsets and 5G routers. The networks achieved coverage at ranges exceeding 4km and remarkable results in non-line-of-sight conditions – the traditional nemesis of Wi-Fi transmissions. Backhaul came from Link Africa in Ntuzuma and Openserve in Ixopo, demonstrating interoperability with existing infrastructure.
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