Kenya races to 50 million wireless internet connections with 4G
Kenya hit 48 million users of wireless internet, up from 45.7 as mobile money providers ramped up the distribution of 4G routers to capture markets living away major towns who lack access to fixed internet infrastructure.
Kenya National Bureau of Statistics data shows 4G wifi subscriptions jumped 35.4 percent last year indicating Kenyans demand for faster internet that can watch video entertainment and gaming.
The demand has seen Safaricom slash prices on its routers to encourage uptake reducing the initial cost of joining their network via the Adrian router from Kes9,999 to Kes5,999 and HUAWEI router from Kes10,999 to Kes6,999 which is bound to increase coverage at an even faster rate this year. Each router comes with 30GB free data welcome bundle for 30 days.
“The 4G transceivers increased from 42,455 in 2021 to 57,498 in 2022 indicating a rising demand for faster internet connectivity. In the period under review, 102 Fifth Generation transceivers were launched indicating the ongoing evolution and advancements of mobile communication technology,” KNBS said.
Safaricom introduced the 4G wifi router that allows for people who don’t have fiber connectivity to connect seamlessly to the internet.
The technology is also ideal as a substitute connectivity for people who are constantly on the move and want a reliable and safe internet connection to be able to move around with their router.
Safaricom which entered the fibre fray in 2014 Safaricom has the widest 4G coverage in the country relative to any player in the market and so customers can be assured of connectivity and great speeds at affordable prices.
As the company extends its reach beyond the urban areas with a lower cost of uptake, it is bound to open up more areas to the internet economy.
And while 4G and 5G internet coverage increases, older technology like 2G is dying out while 3G use case is growing at a slower rate.
KNBS data showed The number of 2G transceivers decreased from 150,035 in 2021 to 129,130 in 2022, indicating a decline in the use of older technology. The 3G transceivers increased from 103,823 in 2021 to 104,786 in 2022.
