Safaricom has expanded the coverage of its 5G network to all 47 counties in Kenya growing the 5G footprint to 14% of the population.
In an update shared on Monday, the telco said it now has 1,114 5G sites up from 803 sites as of March this year covering 102 towns across the country.
In addition to the growing network, Safaricom says it also now has over 11,000 enterprise customers on 5G and has seen growth in the number of active 5G smartphones to over 780,000.
‘Safaricom remains committed to leading Kenya’s Digital transformation through the provision of a worry-free, always-ubiquitous network enabling access to information, critical services and communication therefore bridging the digital divide.” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO, of Safaricom PLC.
”We believe that the benefits of 5G will be a key catalyst in leapfrogging other innovations, industries as well as Kenya’s digital economy,’’
In October 2022, Safaricom became the first service provider in Kenya to launch 5G. Airtel followed next launching the network in July 2023.
In June this year, Airtel announced it had doubled its 5G footprint with the network now accessible in 39 counties and 285 wards across the country up from 16 counties and 180 wards in July 2023. Airtel revealed it had increased the number of its 5G sites to 690, up from 372 when the network went live. The company said it plans to launch an additional 1000 sites by the end of this year bringing the total number of 5G sites to 1690.
Currently, Safaricom offers tailored 5G data bundles and wi-fi packages. Airtel also offers unlimited plans structured across three tiers: 10 Mbps at Kes 3,500 monthly, 20 Mbps at Kes 5,000 monthly, and 30 Mbps at Kes 6,500 monthly. Subscription to the plans requires an Airtel 5G router, available at all Airtel shops for Kes 2,999.
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