5G is finally coming to Kenya .
In the past on year, we had received credible hints that operator Safaricom was testing the service.
5G, which succeeds 4G LTE, is the next-gen standard for broadband cellular connections. It means that you will download stuff faster, and your internet speeds will be appreciably and noticeably faster.
Leading countries have already started using the service following years of testing. The US, for instance, has 5G coverage in most of its cities. Coverage is expanding to more areas, including the same development in other countries in Europe and Asia.
For context, Safaricom launched 4G in 2014. The carrier started expanding it to more region in Kenya from 2016. As of 2020, the operator is yet to avail the service to all major urban centers, but it is getting there.
Telkom and Airtel Kenya only came into the LTE space a couple of years later.
So here is what we know about the launch.
WHEN
The service will go live on Friday, 26 th March.
PROVIDERS
For now, 5G will be availed to customers by Safaricom. PARTNERS The 5G infrastructure is developed by both Nokia and Huawei.Huawei has been on a tight spot over the last year, following pressure from the US government that its 5G telecoms system was not secure. Huawei has since defended its position, citing that its lead in the 5G space has made it a target of competing companies that are jealous of its technological strides. BANDS 5G standards are provided in two standards/frequency groups; at 450 MHz – 6 GHz and at 24 GHz – 52 GHz. The majority of the deployment is at the 450 MHz – 6 GHz frequency, which is what we suspect Safaricom will use.At the moment, researchers are hard at work figuring out how to deploy 24 GHz – 52 GHz, also known as mmWave, efficiently. COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATORS The Communications Authority of Kenya is aware of the 5G developments in Kenya, and has since allocated frequencies for the operator. COST At the moment, no one knows the license fees for 5G frequencies. However, the details will be detailed on Friday when Safaricom launches the service officially.4G licensing cost KES 2.5 billion per operator. SUPPORTED DEVICES So far, only a handful of phones officially available in Kenya are equipped with a 5G chip.The latest ones are from Samsung and Apple: Samsung S21 series with the Exynos 2100 supports 5G. […]