The government is in the final touches of fully rolling out 5G network across the country, Director-General of Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Ezra Chiloba has announced.
Speaking during the launch of Vivo V23 Pro 5G Smartphone, Chiloba said that the Authority is set to hold a validation workshop to discuss the comments received on the 5G Roadmap issued to the public in October 2021.
“On the deployment of 5G technology, the Authority has set the ball rolling by developing a roadmap that outlines strategies to facilitate the deployment of the technology, enabling the country to derive maximum benefits from this new frontier. The Authority subjected the 5G Roadmap to public consultations in October 2021, during which it received invaluable input from various stakeholders. We are now set to hold a validation workshop to discuss the comments received,” said Chiloba in a speech read by Licensing, Compliance and Standards Matano Ndaro.
Read: Boost For Pan-African Payment and Settlement System As MFS Africa Onboards
Once the input from the stakeholders is adopted, CA shall embark on the implementation of various activities in the roadmap such as the establishment of a national 5G forum, allocation of pilot frequencies, authorization of first 5G pilot projects, release of requisite frequency bands and subsequent issuance of 5G commercial licenses.
“The deployment of 5G, which offers extremely fast download and upload speeds, presents a myriad of opportunities for all sectors of our economy. The use-cases for this technology in Kenya are immense, including supporting the country to become an active participant in the unfolding 4th Industrial Revolution. In addition, the technology will come in handy for the millions of Kenyan youth who are hungry for innovation through an increase in virtual networks,” he added.
According to the latest ICT Access Gap study – 2021, commissioned by the Authority, mobile broadband (3G/4G coverage) now covers 96.3 percent of the country’s population and 56.3 percent of the Kenyan landmass.
Read: Once A Telco Giant, Airtel Now Struggling With Debts, Losses: How It Happened
The total number of 3G transceivers of June 2021 has almost tripled to 103,822 up from 42,716 in June 2017. During a similar period, the total number of 4G transceivers has risen to 41,284 as of June 2021 up from just 3,873 in June 2017 in response to the increased demand for these technologies by consumers.
“This commendable growth could not have been realized without the participation and involvement of the private sector in the strides made in the ICT market. I wish to congratulate Vivo Smartphone Kenya on the launch of its new brand in the Kenyan market,” he said.
Read Next: DRC Becomes The Seventh State To Join EAC: What It Brings On Board