File photo showing people walking past Safaricom Shop on a street in Nairobi, Kenya, August 11, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)
Kenya telecom operator Safaricom on Friday launched a commercial trial of 5G services in Nairobi and major urban centers in western Kenya, with Huawei and Nokia as technology partners.
Safaricom said it was the first operator in East Africa to launch 5G services.
The trial will begin with both individual and enterprise customers in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii and Kakamega, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said.
The number of 5G sites will be expanded to more than 150 across nine cities over the next 12 months, the company said.
“With 5G, we aim to empower our customers with superfast internet at work, at home and on the move, adding to the fiber network that is we continue to grow, “Ndegwa told a moving news release. “At Safaricom, we are proud to be the first in the country and region to bring this latest innovation to both our retail and enterprise customers empowering them to begin exploring new opportunities that 5G giving. “
He said the main goal during the trial period is to establish whether customers can enjoy speeds of up to 700Mbps, with plans to offer speeds in excess of 1,000Mbps in the coming months.
Safaricom subscribers who want to use the service will need new handsets that are similar to 5G.
For mobile internet customers, the service will be available on select 5G smartphones from Huawei, Nokia and Samsung, all available at Safaricom Stores, the company said.
Ndegwa said the 5G service will be available on mobile phones starting with the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and P40 on Friday, and from the end of April on the Nokia 8.3 series, Samsung Galaxy S21, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G.
Joe Mucheru, cabinet secretary at the Ministry of Information and Technology, hailed Safaricom’s move as a milestone reaffirming the country’s position at the forefront of innovation in the sector and the world.
“The 5G technology will bring increased internet speeds and capabilities to millions nationwide, laying a solid foundation for a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs,” Mucheru said.