Airtel plans rollout of additional 5G sites across Kenya
Airtel Kenya has unveiled ambitious plans to expand its 5G network by setting up an additional 100 5G sites throughout Kenya by the end of this year. This expansion will significantly increase the coverage, extending from 180 wards to 221 wards and from 15 counties to 32 counties.
The introduction of these new 5G sites represents a pivotal step toward delivering faster internet connectivity, fostering connections among people, businesses, and communities in ways that were once considered unimaginable. The Managing Director, Ashish Malhotra, emphasized the company's unwavering commitment to innovation and connectivity, expressing excitement about being part of this exciting new era of possibilities.
Airtel initially launched its 5G network on July 6, 2023, with the deployment of 372 sites and a promise to further expand its 5G coverage nationwide. With the addition of these new sites, Airtel's objective is to onboard more customers onto the network, facilitating enhanced connectivity and access to high-speed internet services.
Key Takeaways
Across Africa, there have been rapid advancements in the telecom industry driven by increasing investments by local and foreign operators like Airtel Africa. More importantly, the company’s network expansion drive comes at a crucial time when the rollout of the 5G network is accelerating on the continent – helped by greater clarity around spectrum licensing and issuance. The potential benefits of this next-generation network for the continent, such as the optimization of service delivery and end-user experience, are well-published. But adoption faces hurdles due to the high cost of 5G-enabled handsets as well as mobile data in the country. That hasn’t stopped Africa’s leading telcos from investing in the technology, however, with Safaricom’s planned experience centers the latest sample. More so, the investments in network expansion are expected to lower the cost of adoption eventually and provide significant telecom operators with the capacity to accommodate continued growth in data services in Africa.
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