The worldwide hype around 5G still lives, but the rollout is still in nascent stages. The situation is even worse in developing countries. So far, first world countries like the US and China have deployed 5G but more countries worldwide, and in Africa, are joining or are expected to join the movement soon.
In preparation for the 5G launch in Kenya, the market regulator, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has announced that it will unveil its groundwork rules by September this year. The rules will oversee the launch of 5G by telcos in Kenya.
Talks are already in advanced stages.
“We are on the path to 5G together with the rest of the world, and are keenly watching the developments in the global market,” said CA Director General Mercy Wanjau.
“There are countries in Africa like Nigeria, South Africa and recently Zambia that are further along with deployment and we are learning from how they are doing it.”
Consultations are ongoing following the release of Spectrum guidelines in 2020, which will determine, among other things, pricing, auctioning and allocation of resources.
“… the Radio Frequency Spectrum is a scarce national and natural resource that is held in trust and managed by the Authority on behalf of the people of Kenya,” the 2020 Frequency Spectrum Management Guidelines documents states.
The spectrum guidelines will ensure practicable sharing of resources for optimal use while encouraging advanced and innovative information and communication technologies to meet the evolving demands.
They will also ensure a fair and objective spectrum management regime and transparency and stakeholder participation.
“The new spectrum guidelines are now undergoing stakeholder consultations to ensure we accommodate the views of the industry and the public,” the CA director said.
Safaricom and Airtel Kenya have expressed interest in deploying 5G in the country. Safaricom initially planned to launch the network by the end of last year, but the pandemic happened, and the telco moved its focus on expanding its 4G coverage.
On the other hand, Airtel Kenya selected Nokia to upgrade and ready its network for 5G but has not talked about the actual launch.
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