Telkom has signed a Ksh.10 billion deal with, Ericsson, a network and telecommunications provider, and systems integrator NEC XON, to add 2,000 locations to Telkom’s network by 2023.
Under a campaign dubbed “Madaraka Life”, the telco is keen to ensure the provision of affordable data to all parts of Kenya, with the rural area being its key target.
It is onboarding the two US-based network giants, to expand its mobile 4G/LTE network to four times its existing coverage area, improve service quality and availability, and improve customer experience.
“Two of our commitments are 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,” said Telkom’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Mugo Kibati.
The expansion is a long-term ambition and seeks to connect more than 200 learning institutions as well as over 30 medical facilities to the internet to boost the use of remote learning and –health solutions in Kenya.
The initiative comes at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has brought about the essence of virtual social interactions, proof that data is a fundamental human right and absolutely necessary in leadership and economic growth.
“We continue with our long-term terrestrial network expansion plan that is informed by our overall company strategy, which will see us scale up to 80% of our network to 4G, increase our network footprint across the country, and get more Kenyans online. Our partnership with Ericsson and NEC XON is testament to this,” added Kibati.
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On his part, Vice President and Managing Director of Ericsson South and East Africa, Mr. Todd ASHTON that the collaboration will increase mobile coverage across the country, to provide a seamless data experience to Kenyans.
“In line with Kenya’s Vision 2030, more people will have access to affordable Internet that will enable business continuity for people and enterprises contributing to the economic growth in Kenya and in setting #AfricaInMotion. This is just the beginning, with the LTE expansion setting the foundation to deploy 5G in the future,” said Ashton.
speaking during the signing of the deal, Mr. Wilem Wentzel, NEC XON’s General Manager said that the company is assisting Telkom to roll out a leading “robust 4G network with a future-proof foundation to enable their strategic vision to compete as one of the major East African service providers.”
He said that the rollout augments Telkom’s existing network infrastructure by delivering world-class quality of experience (QoE) to more customers across a much wider coverage area.
In every 1000 connections, 80 jobs are created, this results in a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increase and income growth.
Ericsson and NEC XON are global players in the field of technology and are part of the journey to 5G network in Kenya.
