Kenya: Safaricom wants to increase its number of 5G sites to 250 by the end of 2021
June 1st 2021
Although the cost of dedicated devices is still quite expensive for the majority of Kenyans, Safaricom is stepping up its investment in 5G. The company wants to capitalize on the current relatively weak market to establish its presence which it can then consolidate with the fall in costs over the years.
The mobile operator Safaricom plans to invest in the extension of its 5G network. The leader of the national telecoms market wants to increase its number of 5G sites, which was only 15 when the ultra-high speed network was launched in the country, to 250 sites by the end of the year. Nine cities are targeted by this network extension operation, including Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii and Kakamega.
According to Dilip Pal, Safaricom’s chief financial officer, the company has included this 5G network extension project in its spending forecast for the current year. He added that this operation will benefit both individuals and businesses, at home, on the go, at work, and will meet the growing demand for very high speed connectivity that is growing across the country.
Safaricom launched 5G in Kenya on March 26. The telecoms company, which benefited from the technical expertise of technology companies Nokia and Huawei, announced mobile ultra-broadband a year after use tests and almost three months after its chairman and CEO, Peter Ndegwa, announced asserted that the technology was not in the immediate plans of the company. It seems that he was quickly caught up by the reality on the ground.
Although 5G compatible mobile devices are still quite expensive for the majority of Kenyans, as for 4G there was a time, Safaricom, which is a leader in the various mobile technologies present on the market, is strategically positioned to attract the first customers and expand its grip on this new market segment over time. A strategy through which the telecoms operator will see new revenues grow over time.
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