Safaricom customers with 5G-enabled smartphones will pay higher tariffs for the high-speed mobile data services that the firm plans to roll out in December.
The giant telco will start selling super-fast Internet to customers with fifth-generation network-compatible smartphones before the end of the year after making the services available on Wi-Fi for businesses and homes on Thursday.
The expansion of the high-speed Internet network will equip more individuals and enterprises with 5G for use at work, at home and when on the move, helping Safaricom to tap into the burgeoning mobile Internet adoption in the country.
But the consumers on the 5G network will have to pay higher Internet tariffs compared to those offered on 3G and 4G networks to reflect the billions of shillings spent on the infrastructure upgrade.
“Plans are already underway to provide 5G data packages for mobile Internet which will be ready by December,” Safaricom chief executive Peter Ndegwa said, without fleshing out details.
Sources, however, said the cost of accessing 5G Internet on the phone will be higher and different from that for browsing on 4G-enabled devices. Currently, the rates for 4G and 3G are similar.Safaricom has become the first telco in the Eastern Africa region to commercially launch 5G high-speed internet service following trials that started in March 2021 within 15 sites in major urban centres which routinely witness increased data traffic.
The service will, however, be initially available for Wi-Fi subscriptions by homes and businesses within 35 5G sites spread in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Kisii and Kakamega.
