Safaricom Sets Date for 5G Launch.

The leading telecommunication launched 5G technology in March with 15 sites and has therefore decided to take the high-speed Internet to more towns. Safaricom is set to increase its fifth-generation (5G) sites by 200 by the time the year ends and also commercialize the super-fast services in 2022.

The 5G is a central part of its attempts to further expand its data business to counter the stunted growth in voice calls revenue.  Peter Ndegwa, chief executive officer of Safaricom, said the company would use up to 200 sites for testing the upgraded and improved network as it seeks to capitalize on burgeoning mobile internet in the country.

“This 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,” Mr Ndegwa said.

In March Safaricom launched the upgraded network in major urban centres like Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii and Kakamega and they have all witnessed an increase in data traffic. Safaricom’s capital expenditure is expected to rise to 40 billion from sh34.96 billion that was recorded in the financial year ended March.

Both Safaricom and Airtel are in the race for the superfast internet giving priority to urban centres like Nairobi.

Currently, 5G phones in the Kenyan Market are few and expensive. Therefore, 5G is set to equip more individuals and enterprises for use at work, home and when on the move. This will help Safaricom tap into the burgeoning mobile internet use in the country.

The technology can support up to one million connected devices per square kilometre compared to 4G which can only support up to 100,000 connected devices in a similar area. 5G is suitable for providing superfast internet speed in high-density areas and linking thousands of connected devices like in the manufacturing and supply chain management for businesses.

Safaricom is aiming to rev up its data business to compensate for the slow growth in mobile calls. It has witnessed a small growth due to saturation forcing them to rely on Mpesa and Internet power for future growth.