5G mobile subscriptions are on the rise in Kenya. This is according to the latest insights from the telecommunications regulatory body, CA Kenya.
The body reports that 5G mobile subscriptions have risen from 509,737 to 653,716 in the country as of the end of March this year. Currently, 5G network is provided by three telcos in the country – Safaricom, Airtel, and Equity.
In late 2022, Safaricom became the first telco in Kenya to roll out 5G. By August this year, its 5G network covered all 47 counties in Kenya, reaching 102 towns and expanding to over 1000 sites from 803 in March.
Safaricom says they have more than 11,000 business clients using 5G and adds that over 780,000 smartphones are active on its 5G network.
Last year, Airtel also hopped on the bandwagon by launching their 5G network in the country. Their network now spans 39 counties and boasts 690 5G sites across the country, with plans to increase this to 1000 sites by the end of this year.
Equitel, this year, teamed up with Airtel to introduce 5G in Kenya, which is accessible in 370 locations in the country.
The three telcos offer affordable 5G mobile data bundles. Safaricom has tailored 5G data bundles, Airtel has unlimited plans for its three tiers while Airtel offers its subscribers 100% bonus on data bundles every Wednesday and Friday.
Safaricom, Airtel, and Equitel provide cost-effective 5G mobile data packages. Safaricom offers tailored 5G data bundles, Airtel provides unlimited plans across its three tiers, and Equitel offers subscribers a 100% bonus on data bundles every Wednesday and Friday.
There’s also been an increased uptake of both affordable and premium 5G-powered smartphones thanks to device manufacturers partnering with chip makers like Qualcomm and MediaTek.
High-speed connectivity is in high demand, especially among young people who consume a lot of multimedia content – movie and music streaming, gaming, and watching live sports.
Other Insights:
- Total mobile subscriptions in the country grew from 66.7 million to 68 million.
- The number of registered mobile agents grew from 327K to 339K while mobile money subscriptions grew from 38 million to 38.7 million. CA adds that the increase in mobile money usage is due to the removal of withdrawal codes for transferring funds directly from M-Pesa to Airtel Money.
- Smartphone use grew slightly from 33.6 million to 34.6 million while feature phone use dropped from 31.8 million to 31.2 million.
- Mobile penetration rose to 132.1% in the country
- Safaricom still leads mobile subscriptions in the country with 44.7 million total subscriptions followed by Airtel’s 19.9 million and Telkom’s 1.5 million.
- 4G mobile subscriptions sit at 27.6 million while 3G and 2G sit at 9 million and 14 million respectively.
- Starlink’s Internet services launch in the country significantly boosted the adoption of broadband services in the country – increasing it from 0.448Gps to 48.438Gbps
- Total cyber threats(malware, brute force attacks, distributed denial of service attacks) detected in the country decreased from 1.3 billion to 970 million while cyber threat advisories rose from 8 million to 8.5 million.
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