By Jerry Omondi
Kenya’s leading mobile network operator, Safaricom, is scheduled to unveil the country’s first fifth-generation (5G) mobile internet service on Friday.
The 5G technology will be supplied by Huawei and Nokia.
The unveiling of the 5G by Safaricom will make it the first in the region to roll out the service for commercial services.
The mobile network operator targets to have 5G in use across Nairobi and the country’s Western region including Kisumu, Kisii and Bungoma.
“Safaricom will be the first operator in East Africa to launch 5G services and will be showcasing the capabilities of the network with the aid of Huawei and Nokia’s technologies,” Safaricom said in an invite to the press.
The firm sees the rollout of the 5G technology as a key part of its plan to further expand its data business.
The launch of the latest technology comes a little over five years after the unveiling of the 4G network.
Huawei continues to expand its 5G technology, despite backlash from the U.S. and other countries in the Western world.
In Africa however, the company has gained traction, already favored in South Africa and now Kenya.
In 2019, Huawei predicted that 5G coverage will reach 58 percent by the year 2025.
The technology is said to boost browsing and download speeds by about 10 to 20 times faster than those offered by 4G