Chinese tech giant set to double 5G uptake in Africa
NAIROBI, Kenya – Huawei -a Chinese tech giant plans to double the uptake of 5G network in the African continent as demand rises from local telcos.
This was revealed by Huawei ICT Strategy and Marketing President Peng Song who was speaking during the 13th Global Mobile Broadband Forum.
“Our 5G business success is on an up trajectory path and this growth can be attributed to the African continent. We started off with just 200,000 base stations but today I can announce that we have deployed just under half a million base stations outside China, accounting for 70 percent of the world’s total.”
Currently, there are 12 local telecom operators in 10 different markets that have adopted the technology over the last 3 years.
In Kenya, Safaricom plc is leading the way in the acquisition of the 5G network.
The 5G networks are popular for offering fast internet speeds, which are crucial for video streaming, games, and downloads.
Safaricom’s new 5G service has been shown to reach download speeds of 500Mbps in Kenya.
Peng Song added that “Kenya is one of the key markets that have adopted the next generation technology where 5G enabled mobile phones are already available locally, with the lowest-cost devices falling below Sh50,000.”
Last week East African largest telco firm -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.
Huawei is optimistic that 5G uptake will continue to rise as consumers interact more on the internet and organizations embrace ultra-automation and maintenance.
“The acceleration of 5G uptake is also underpinned by the fact that existing video services deliver higher HD experience with its higher traffic capacity,” “Beyond expanding coverage, networks are being built to optimize different types of user experience such as optimizing them for better video download speeds.”
Recent research by Huawei, every Sh100 ($1) invested in a 5G service will yield back Sh2,600 ($26) in an 8 year period.
GAROW ONLINE
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