South Africa upgrades power grids and 5G standards
These initiatives collectively aim to guarantee more reliable power systems and faster, more efficient 5G connectivity in South Africa.
The South African government is advancing its digital infrastructure through significant updates to network power grid standards and 5G technology. The introduction of the draft standard SANS 61850-8-1:20XX Ed 2.1 represents an important step in modernising power grids to enhance efficiency and communication.
The following standard integrates advanced technologies such as GOOSE (Generic Object Oriented Substation Event), SMV (Sampled Measured Value), PRP (Parallel Redundancy Protocol), and HSR (High-availability Seamless Redundancy), which will improve the reliability and security of power systems while supporting modern networking technologies like IPv6.
In parallel, the draft standard SANS 301908-24:2024 Ed 1 focuses on advancing 5G technology by specifying the technical requirements and measurement methods for 5G base stations. Aligning with 3GPP Release 15, this standard features Massive MIMO for handling numerous simultaneous connections, Beamforming to enhance signal quality and reduce interference, and a focus on power efficiency to support greener, more energy-efficient 5G networks. These updates collectively aim to modernise South Africa’s digital infrastructure, ensuring more reliable power systems and faster, more efficient 5G connectivity.
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