NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 13 – Airtel has announced that it will roll out its 5G network in select rich neighborhoods, coming at a time when telcos are racing against time to offer this service.
The target demographic is known to possess compatible smartphones, as well as purchasing power.
The 5G network offers clients fast download speeds, video streaming and neck break speed video play.
“I still believe that 5G is good in the medium term. In the short-term, our focus will continue to be on expanding our 4G footprint, and selectively launching 5G to capture opportunities in high-income neighborhoods,” Airtel Africa CEO said recently.
This comes at a time when players are racing against time to roll out the network across the country.
Last year, Safaricom rolled out 5G networks in five counties, enabling customers to access faster internet speeds.
The telco has unveiled the networks in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisii, Kakamega, and Kisumu.
Faster than 4G network, clients will be able to download, stream videos as well as play video at neck break speeds.
However, adoption of 5G faces hurdles due to the high cost of 5G enabled handsets as well as data. For instance, 5G handsets goes for about Sh40,000 and above,
Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa earlier said that only 1 in three people access 4G handheld devices, highlighting the challenge with 5G uptake.
Currently, Safaricom has 35 active 5G sites spread across Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii, Kakamega and Mombasa, and it plans to expand to 200 sites across the country by March 2023.
