5G: Safaricom To Launch Commercial Version In 2022

KENYAN mobile network operator, Safaricom has announced that it will launch a commercialized version of its 5G services in 2022.

Chief Executive Officer, Safaricom, Peter Ndegwa, in a statement, said the company wants to take advantage of the high-speed feature of the network to additional towns, adding that the 5G service will further expand its data business to counter slower growth in voice calls revenue.

The telecom company had launched 5G technology in Kenya in March starting with major urban centres, including Nairobi.

It also announced plans to increase its 5G sites to 200 by the end of the year.

Ndegwa explained that the company would use the 200 sites for testing the upgraded network as it seeks to capitalize on burgeoning mobile Internet use in the country.

He said, “This year is a trial phase and we intend to have 150 to 200 sites coming from the first use case of homes, especially in places where we do not have fibre.

“We will be able to test on such areas and help customers in terms of speed and reliability and from next year we can be able to commercialize a bit faster but I will come with that at the appropriate time.”

While Safaricom continues to lead the race to be the first provider of the 5G experience in Kenya, that is only one part of a broader battle that has pitted the telecom giant against rivals like Airtel Kenya, Vodacom and MTN across Sub Saharan Africa.

In April, Airtel Kenya upgraded 600 network sites to meet 5G mobile internet service capabilities with the aim of being ready to roll out services in Nairobi, Mombasa and Malindi.