Kenya’s second largest mobile operator Airtel, which is also in talks with Telkom Kenya on a merger deal that will give rise to a single entity namely Airtel-Telkom, has announced a wider rollout of its 3G and 4G services.
According to the telco, the network upgrade will see the launch of more than 800 3G and 4G sites across the country as the carrier attempts to appeal to more mobile data-sensitive customers who also want to enjoy well-priced plans.
Airtel says that the new sites will significantly bolster network capacity, and push data speeds up by improving quality of service, which, in the end, should theoretically make internet sessions and voice calls better.
Customers who use Airtel products are some of the most vocal people on social media platforms and continue to engage Airtel’s customer care agents for various reasons, most of which are complaints regarding the inconsistencies of the carrier’s network coverage in some places.
To this end, the 800 sites will serve more than 40 additional towns, including Kisumu, Nyeri, Meru, Nakuru, Bungoma, Lamu and Garissa among others.
Airtel introduced LTE services mid-2018 after Telkom’s launch the previous year. The rollout had been delayed after a series of legal and financial tussles with the Communications Authority of Kenya but has since been ironed out.
“Airtel is committed to constantly innovate and improve on the quality of its products and services as an active competitor in the Kenyan market. As such, we are delighted to be increasing our 4G sites across the country. The expansion of our network coverage will ensure that the majority of the urban population are well covered,” said Airtel Kenya CEO Prasanta Das Sarma.
