Safaricom’s 5G And What It Means For Kenyans

The world is changing, thanks to technology. What was years ago is not what it is today. It is like a high-speed train that has long left the station, those not onboard risk being left out; forever. Technology is change, and change is inevitable.

Kenya’s telecommunication sector has been evolving over the years. From the days of drums, messengers, smoke, and signals, to the use of landlines, then mobile phones, and now smartphones, going hand in hand with an evolution in the network.

In Kenya, the giant telecommunication company is Safaricom. From “crazy profits” to state-of-the-art innovations such as M-Pesa, Fuliza to economic and societal empowerment through schools and equipping of health facilities.

Safaricom has managed to embed itself at the center of the hearts of many Kenyans through its corporate colors. From the slums of Mathare in Nairobi to the remote village of Tongaren in Bungoma, Safaricom reigns supreme with presence in every corner.

The telecommunications giant has managed to remain ahead of its peers by heavily investing in infrastructure, adapting to the ever-changing trends, and coming up with products that fit the needs and demands of its customers.

On March 26, 2020, Safaricom announced the launch of 5G technology for its customers. The company rolled out the technology to both individual and enterprise customers in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii, and Kakamega.

Safaricom said that it was in the process of expanding the number of 5G sites to more than 150 across nine towns over the next 12 months. The launch of the 5G network made Kenya the second country in Africa with 5G after South Africa.

Read More:

• Safaricom Will Not Be Launching 5G Network Soon
• Safaricom Officially Rolls Out 5G Network Across Kenya

One major advantage of the 5G network is the speed. Kenyans will be able to enjoy speeds of up to 700 Megabits per second, with the company planning to offer more than 1,000 Mbps speeds in the coming months.

5G technology can also act as an alternative to Home Fibre and Fibre for Business services, a great link and connection to customers in places where Safaricom is yet to roll out its fiber network. At the same time, 5G can support up to 1 million connected devices per square kilometer compared to 4G which can only support up to 100,000 connected devices in a similar area.

Compared to 4G, the 5G network has the following advantages:

Higher data rate: 5G network provides a much faster Internet speed, ten times faster than 4G. This gives the user time and opportunity to browse faster than on any other network in the world.

Lower latency: Latency of 5G is optimized to 1ms in theory, enabling accurate communication in scenarios like telesurgery or unmanned vehicle.

Larger capacity: 5G network connects to a lot more end devices (IoT), a maximum of 1 million devices per square kilometers in theory.

Reliability: With the three features, the 5G network provides a much more reliable Internet connection.

In the words of CS Joe Mucheru (ICT), 5G technology will usher increased internet speeds and capabilities for millions across the country, laying a strong foundation for a new generation of innovators and entrepreneurs.