Kenya is one of the few countries that has done very well in terms of mobile internet connections. The telco industry is vibrant here thanks to legislation and the amount of work that operators have put in.
4G, for instance, was launched way back in 2013. Only Safaricom was able to gain such developments, but others joined the show, including Telkom Kenya in 2017. To note, Telkom is a small player and is behind Airtel and Safaricom in terms of market share.
This, however, does not mean that the company is lacking. Its data products are affordable and appealing to its customers, but internet coverage is not at its best. While it does very well in urban centres, its LTE coverage is not as diverse. To put this into perspective, Safaricom’s 4G coverage is at all-time high at 97 percent. You can basically access fast Safaricom speeds anywhere in the country.
Now, Telkom Kenya, undeterred, is expanding its 4G coverage, and this time around at the Coast.
The project has targeted the Coast and Lower Eastern regions, meaning it serves Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Lamu and Taita Taveta.
It has also stretched to Makueni, Machakos, Kitui, and Kajiado Counties.
Partnering with Ericsson and systems integrator NEC XON, the project was announced in November 2021. It will supplement an additional 2,000 4G sites onto Telkom’s Mobile 4G/LTE Network, by 2023.
Telkom says it will spend USD 100 million on the project. It lays the groundwork for the company’s long-term goal to become the technology partner of choice to its customers in Kenya and the region.
Quotes
“This is a very exciting milestone for Telkom. We firmly believe that Mobile Data is a fundamental human right and it has now emerged as a daily necessity. We remain committed to better position our infrastructure asset base and services to drive digital transformation within our various Customer segments thus providing them with more value, as well as bridge the digital divide through the expansion of our Mobile Data Network,” says CEO Mugo Kibati.
