Telecommunications company, Safaricom, on Thursday, October 27 rolled-out 5G internet services in five select counties.
Speaking during the launch, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa announced availability of the super-fast internet service in Nairobi, Kisumu, Kisii, Kakamega and Mombasa counties.
The company said it currently has 35 active 5G sites spread across the aforementioned counties, however, noting that they will expand to 200 sites countrywide by March 2023.
“We believe in the transformative power of the internet and will continue to deliver the most advanced technologies towards enabling our customers to enjoy a digital lifestyle
“The launch of 5G Wi-Fi is the first step in empowering our retail and enterprise customers to start exploring new opportunities that 5G provides,” Ndegwa said.
The internet service will be accessible only on 5G-enabled devices.
Safaricom further announced that plans are currently underway to roll-out 5G mobile data packages.
“Plans are also underway to provide 5G data packages for mobile internet customers and leverage the Lipa Mdogo Mdogo device-financing solution to avail more affordable 5G smartphones,” the company said.
Customers in 5G-ready zones can access 5G Wi-Fi by purchasing a 5G router at KSh 25,000 and pay the setup fee of KSh 5,000, then select from three packages on offer.
The packages on offer are 10Mbps with a usage limit of 300GB at KSh 3,499, 40Mbps with a usage limit of 500GB at KSh 5,999 and 100Mbps with a usage limit of 1TB at KSh 14,999.
At the same time, Communications Authority of Kenya Director-General Ezra Chiloba has urged mobile phone manufacturers to make cheaper 5G-enabled devices.
“I want to challenge you here to come up with cheaper 5G-enabled devices because not everyone can afford what you are selling in the market at the moment,” he said.
