• Latest
  • All
  • How To
Safaricom 5G on Infinix Zero Ultra

5G Users Increase in Kenya

March 13, 2024
BURN Secures $5 Million to Bring Clean Cooking to Kenyan Homes

BURN Secures $5 Million to Bring Clean Cooking to Kenyan Homes

May 17, 2025
Safaricom Quickmart partnership

Safaricom 4G and 5G Routers Now Available at Quickmart Stores

May 17, 2025
SEACOM tech student programs

SEACOM Brings Learning to Life for Tech Students

May 17, 2025
Safaricom 5G for Business

How Safaricom 5G is Revolutionizing Enterprise Connectivity

May 17, 2025
DHgate Tablet Cases deals
KEMIS

KEMIS: Kenya’s New Education Data System Set to Replace NEMIS in 2025

May 17, 2025
White Genocide

Grok AI Goes Off the Rails with Bizarre Conspiracy Responses

May 17, 2025
Google One

Google One Hits 150 Million Users, Thanks to AI Premium Plan

May 17, 2025
4K video uploads X

Say Hello to 4K Video Uploads on X

May 17, 2025
openai-chatgpt

ChatGPT Will Soon Be Able to Record, Transcribe & Summarize Meetings

May 17, 2025
Telegram

Telegram Shuts Down $35 Billion Crypto Black Markets

May 17, 2025
Peak Points

AI Will Now Help YouTube Choose the Perfect Moment for Ads

May 17, 2025
Safaricom-IXAfrica-Centres-1

Safaricom Partners with iXAfrica to Build Region’s First AI-Ready Data Centre

May 17, 2025
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
No Result
View All Result
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
No Result
View All Result
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
No Result
View All Result

5G Users Increase in Kenya

George Kamau by George Kamau
March 13, 2024
in News
Reading Time: 6 mins read
257
0
Safaricom 5G on Infinix Zero Ultra

Safaricom 5G on Infinix Zero Ultra

There has been positive growth in terms of subscriptions especially 5G in the country according to recent data from the telecommunications regulatory body, CA Kenya.

Second quarter sector statistics report financial year 2023/2024 shows significant growth across the board – from data and internet subscriptions, traffic and international bandwidth. This period also saw decreased mobile subscriptions which we’ll get to below.

5G mobile data subscriptions went from 509,737 users to 586,684 users. This is impressive growth in alignment with forecasted numbers regarding 5G adoption in the country. The increase reflects Kenyan telco’s efforts to expand 5G coverage, making 5G bundles and devices – both smartphones and routers affordable.

Kenya also has three networks that offer 5G services across the country including Safaricom, Airtel and recently, Equitel.

Safaricom was the first one to bring 5G in the country in October 2022 after months of testing and is now available in 35 counties nationwide including Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi to Marsabit county.

Airtel rolled out their 5G network in July last year and expanded to 32 counties in Kenya.

Equitel launched their 5G network late last month and is available across 370 locations from the coast, the lakeside and the north rift. Equitel 5G is accessible in Mombasa, Nairobi, Athi River, Kisumu, Kakamega, Bungoma, Eldoret and Siaya. Equitel has said that they will be expanding their 5G network to residential areas, shopping centres and central business districts.

Device manufacturers in partnership with chip makers and telcos have also been working to launch affordable 5G smartphones such as the Redmi Note 13 Pro series, the OPPO Reno11 series, the Vivo V29 series, the Infinix Note 30 VIP, and the TECNO Camon 20 Pro series.

OPPO Reno11 Series
OPPO Reno11 5G Series

Safaricom not only cut the prices of their 5G wireless routers by 60% but also made their 5G data bundles even more affordable. The routers now cost Ksh 9,999 with 5G WiFi for Home Consumer starting at Ksh 3.499 for the 400GB bundle while the unlimited 5G WiFi for Business starts at Ksh 4,000(10Mbps).

Airtel 5G data bundles start from as low as Ksh 3000 per month for the 10GB a day for home subscribers. 5G Unlimited business packages start from Ksh 3500(10Mbps) going all the way to Ksh 7500(50Mbps) per month. Their 5G router is still available for Ksh 10,000.

Airtel 5G Wifi Router
Airtel 5G Wifi Router

4G subscriptions also rose from 23.9 million subscriptions to 26.2 million subscriptions while 3G subscriptions declined to 9.7 million from 10.2 million. It’s no surprise since the number of smartphones also increased from 32.6 million to 33.6 million.

Why Kenya Has More Smartphone Users Than Feature Phone Users

The number of feature phones decreased from 32 million to 31.8 million.

While the growth in terms of of 5G users is commendable, it is still behind in Africa, coming in third after South Africa and Nigeria with their 5 million and 1.8 million subscriptions respectively.

Deep Dive

There’s a strong demand for high-speed connectivity, especially with the youth who are data-hungry when it comes to consuming multimedia content(video streaming, music, gaming, live sports, cloud storage), mobile and cloud-based gaming.

5G rollout has had its challenges too including limited 5G network coverage, and the high cost of 5G devices and most of them are satisfied with the previous 4G and 3G networks.

The future is looking bright as mobile operators and enterprises are working together to unlock 5G’s superior capabilities. There’s a sizeable market opportunity which heavily depends on policies that enable network investments which include regulators availing more spectrum for faster 5G adoption.

It is still imperative for Africa to keep up with the global 5G adoption which can be done using the phased approach which is a sustainable way to ensure consumers and enterprises enjoy enhanced connectivity.

Scaling 5G across Africa will still need collaborations between stakeholders which includes cost-effective network deployment, partnerships between consumers and enterprises to bring relevant localized use cases, and coming up with programs that make 5G devices more affordable for the mass market.

Other Interesting Numbers

  • As pointed out above, mobile data subscriptions grew to 51 million from 49.3 million. Mobile broadband subscriptions increased to 36.5 million from 34.6 million.
  • Mobile voice traffic minutes(on-net) also rose to 20.2 billion from 19.1 billion while off-net surged to 3.3 billion from 3.1 billion
  • Utilization of undersea bandwidth soared to 10,995.452 Gbps out of which 8,041.632 Gbps was used in the country and 2,953.820 Gbps sold outside the country
  • The total available Internet bandwidth capacity in the country dropped to 17,293.743 Gbps from 17,353.722 Gbps
  • 4G mobile coverage is at 97% while 2G and 3G at 98%.
  • Safaricom is still king in terms of mobile(SIM) subscriptions at 65.9% while Airel, Telkom, Finserve and JTL follow closely at 29%, 2%, 2.3% and 0.7% respectively.
  • MPESA still leads when it comes to mobile money services at 97.1% with Airtel Money ranking in second at 2.9%
  • mobile(SIM) subscriptions dropped to 66.7 million from 67.1 million due to high churn vis-a-vis acquisitions especially concerning Telkom Kenya which also led to peneration rate decline by 0.8%
  • JTL mobile subscriptions rose from 456.3K to 498K while Airtel rose from 18.9 million to 19.4 subscriptions.
  • Safaricom, Telkom and Equitel reported declines. Safaricom decreased from 44.1 million to 44 million subscriptions, Telkom nosedived from 2.1 million to 1.3 million subscriptions while Equitel dropped from 1.51 million to 1.5 million subscriptions.

More Articles From Techweez

  • Best OnePlus Smartphones to Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best iPhones to Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best Google Pixel Smartphones to Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best Samsung Smartphones to Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best OPPO Smartphones to Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best TECNO Smartphones in Kenya and Where to Buy Them
  • Best Infinix Smartphones in Kenya and Where to Buy Them
  • Best Vivo Smartphones to Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best Xiaomi Smartphones to Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best Foldable Smartphones To Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best Flagship Smartphones To Buy in Kenya Right Now
  • Best Budget Smartphones Under 25K in Kenya Right Now
Tags: 5GAirtel 5GSafaricom 5G
SendShare148Tweet93
George Kamau

George Kamau

I brunch on consumer tech | [email protected]

Related Posts

Safaricom Quickmart partnership

Safaricom 4G and 5G Routers Now Available at Quickmart Stores

May 17, 2025
Safaricom 5G for Business

How Safaricom 5G is Revolutionizing Enterprise Connectivity

May 17, 2025
home internet wifi prices in kenya

List of Home Internet Service Providers in Kenya with 2025 Prices

January 25, 2025
Faster Internet for Kenyan SMEs as Safaricom Revamps 5G for Business

Faster Internet for Kenyan SMEs as Safaricom Revamps 5G for Business

December 4, 2024
the process of setting up an Internet service provider (ISP) in Kenya

How to become an ISP in Kenya

August 20, 2024
home internet wifi prices in kenya

FUP: Why Your Internet Plan isn’t “Unlimited” and How Kenya ISPs Implement a Data Cap

August 20, 2024

Latest

BURN Secures $5 Million to Bring Clean Cooking to Kenyan Homes

BURN Secures $5 Million to Bring Clean Cooking to Kenyan Homes

May 17, 2025
Safaricom Quickmart partnership

Safaricom 4G and 5G Routers Now Available at Quickmart Stores

May 17, 2025
SEACOM tech student programs

SEACOM Brings Learning to Life for Tech Students

May 17, 2025
Safaricom 5G for Business

How Safaricom 5G is Revolutionizing Enterprise Connectivity

May 17, 2025
KEMIS

KEMIS: Kenya’s New Education Data System Set to Replace NEMIS in 2025

May 17, 2025
White Genocide

Grok AI Goes Off the Rails with Bizarre Conspiracy Responses

May 17, 2025

Best devices

budget smartwatches 2025

Best Budget Smartwatches To Buy in Kenya 2025

February 13, 2025

Best Infinix Smartphones To Buy in Kenya 2024

February 13, 2025

Best Laptops for Battery Life in 2024

August 21, 2024

Best “Battery Warrior” Smartphones To Buy in 2024

August 22, 2024

BURN Secures $5 Million to Bring Clean Cooking to Kenyan Homes

May 17, 2025

Safaricom 4G and 5G Routers Now Available at Quickmart Stores

May 17, 2025

Techweez is a fast growing influential source of technology news, reviews and analysis by leading tech geeks in the industry.

Follow Us

Editorials

Samsung QLED TVs Now Officially Certified for Real Quantum Dot Technology

Trump’s Tariffs Will Be the End of Affordable Tech

5 Ways to Prep Your Tech for Resale

The Weaponization of PDFs: How Cybercriminals Are Exploiting a Trusted Format

Introducing A Brainbox Quiz: Techweez’s Monthly Trivia Night!

5 Most Reliable Virtual Dollar Card Providers in Nigeria

More News

Google One Hits 150 Million Users, Thanks to AI Premium Plan

Say Hello to 4K Video Uploads on X

ChatGPT Will Soon Be Able to Record, Transcribe & Summarize Meetings

Telegram Shuts Down $35 Billion Crypto Black Markets

AI Will Now Help YouTube Choose the Perfect Moment for Ads

Safaricom Partners with iXAfrica to Build Region’s First AI-Ready Data Centre

  • Terms Of Use
  • Techweez Brand
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact Us

© 2024 Techweez - Palahala Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.
A Palahala Media Group Brand. All rights reserved.
.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
Crunchy Cookies 🍪 Ahead!

Hey there! Just a heads-up: we're big fans of cookies - both the digital and edible kind! 🍪 We use our cookies and some from third parties to ensure your browsing experience on our site is smooth sailing and secure.

 

But wait, there's more! We also use cookies to gather stats and insights on how you navigate our site. It's like getting a behind-the-scenes peek at your digital adventures!

 

Don't worry, you're in control. You can adjust your cookie settings anytime to suit your preferences. Feeling curious? Dive into our Privacy Policy for all the juicy details. Happy browsing! 🚀

Functional Always active
Listen, this legal stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it basically says we only use your stuff for what you asked us to do, and nobody else gets to peek!
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
It's those sneaky cookie crumbs websites leave behind to count visitors, like counting ants at a picnic! Totally harmless, just for fun facts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Hey there! Just letting you know we use some fancy gizmos to remember your preferences. This way, we can show you ads that are, well, not completely bananas.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Make cookies
{title} {title} {title}
Techweez | Tech News, Reviews, Deals, Tips and How To
Crunchy Cookies 🍪 Ahead!
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
Listen, this legal stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But it basically says we only use your stuff for what you asked us to do, and nobody else gets to peek!
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
It's those sneaky cookie crumbs websites leave behind to count visitors, like counting ants at a picnic! Totally harmless, just for fun facts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
Hey there! Just letting you know we use some fancy gizmos to remember your preferences. This way, we can show you ads that are, well, not completely bananas.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Make cookies
{title} {title} {title}
No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Editorial
  • Automotive
  • Entertainment

© 2024 Techweez - Palahala Media Group may earn a commission when you buy through links on our sites.
A Palahala Media Group Brand. All rights reserved.
.