Set to broadcast from Arusha to Zanzibar
Vodacom Tanzania has launched the first ever 5G mobile network in the country. The new non-standalone 5G service will bless the 63 million people of the country with higher speeds, lower latency and exciting new opportunities in a country in which the average age is 18 and 37% of the population lives in an urban environment. The Vodafone Group subsidiary will deploy in multiple sites in Dar es Salaam with a target to expand 5G technology to approximately 230 locations in the country, including Arusha, Dodoma, Mwanza, Iringa, Kagera, Zanzibar, Mbeya and others.
The network will be available for fixed network customers through Vodacom’s 5G routers, and for smartphone users with 5G capable devices. Customers can expect to enjoy speeds of up to 400 Mbps, with plans to offer more than 800 Mbps in the coming months. Vodacom expects the network to achieve speeds of up to 1 Gbps once the 5G spectrum is made fully available. Vodacom’s CEO said this could stimulate growth in places that could use emerging technologies, like the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, as they present themselves in Tanzania.
“We are excited to unveil the latest generation of mobile and internet technology that has brought digital transformation to the world and today it is available here in Tanzania through the Vodacom network,” said Hilda Bujiku, Acting MD for Vodacom Tanzania, “This marks a very important milestone for us as a nation towards technological advancement.”
The 5G network will be available to Vodacom Tanzania’s retail and enterprise customers and Bujiku encouraged them to start exploring new opportunities that 5G provides. Customers with 5G-capable devices can expect data at 400 Megabits per second, with plans to offer more than 800 Mbps speeds in the coming months. Speeds of 1 Gbps will be achievable once the 5G spectrum is fully available, says Vodacom.
“Having been first to launch 5G in Africa, this is an exciting milestone in Vodacom’s history,” said Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub. “We are bringing the continent closer to the global digital economy. [Credit to] the Tanzanian team for bringing us one step closer to an inclusive, fully digitised future for all Africans.”
Nape Nnauye, the Tanzania Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Parliament of Tanzania appearing at the launch event as a hologram. “I congratulate Vodacom for paving the way for digital transformation in Tanzania. The government fully supports this breakthrough because we know technology has the power to transform lives and help the country achieve SDG targets in areas such as health, agriculture, energy, logistics. I call on entrepreneurs, businesses, innovators, and ministries to tap into this 5G network and transform this nation. The government pledges its support to you.”